My Butterfly
by Othello's Adonis
Summary: He was a blond beauty that had to be kept locked away by the Emperor's Son. But some other people find him interesting too. yaoi GaaNaru SasuNaru NejiNaru
1. New Gem

**Swish…another story. I'm really going to need you guys' opinions on this one. Gonna be a Naruto fic this time around. **

**My Butterfly**

It must have been the way he walked that caught the Emperor's son's attention. There was a sway of constant confidence in his walk that made people turn to look at him. Or maybe it was his eyes; those dazzling sky blue, reflecting eyes. There was no fear in them. Not even when he had been brought before the Emperor and his son and told that he was to become a slave in the prince's household. It was almost like he was purposefully defiant. Even his sunshine blond hair made him attractive and a rarity in these parts. He was uncommon, a gem. And like all gems they had to be put away in a safe place.

Of course, Naruto had totally and completely lost it when they told him that he was to inhabit the prince's harem and actually bitten one of the guards in an effort to escape from what he deemed an unacceptable fate. Although hiding out in the palace didn't work out so well either because you were always eventually found when you tried to jump the wall. Unfortunately for him, they'd also gashed his leg. Yeah, that was going to leave a scar on his previously unmarked skin. Two days later, he heard that the guards that had caught him were beheaded for scarring him. He was still pissed off about almost having his leg cut off though. That always sucked. He'd had some close calls before, but that was the first time the palace guards had ever actually gotten him.

A sudden gonging alerted everyone in the harem that the prince was coming and they should try to look their best. This only made Naruto want to sulk even more. Why the hell did the Emperor's son have to have him as a concubine anyway? He was a guy, dammit! He didn't see any other guy's around here, just women, which only served to add insult to injury. Not to mention, the blonde could barely stand or do anything because he'd been gashed on the leg. All in all, it was just an agitating situation and he just knew it was only going to get worse…even if the pillows were comfy.

The doors swung open to reveal a very tall and slightly agitated looking red head with aquamarine eyes. He didn't have any eyebrows though, which was a source of endless wonder for Naruto. Many of the women giggled excitedly and tried to look seductive, while Naruto just rolled his eyes and went back to looking out the window on his big comfy pillow. He'd been confined to it ever since he came to the harem because of his leg, but he didn't much mind. A light breeze came through and caressed his face, making him close his eyes and lift his head to feel it a bit more. It was a feeling he enjoyed, just like freedom, but it seemed that he would never be free again.

"You there, boy," a booming voice called to Naruto, making him twitch in annoyance. He opened his eyes but didn't look away from the window. "Show the proper respect for his majesty."

"A whore has no right to even look upon the face of royalty. Why should I bow to him now that I am in his harem?" Naruto replied back softly. There were some soft gasps. "Forgive my rudeness, highness, but I am naught but a simple street urchin. I wasn't raised to have any manners."

"Indeed," A somewhat rough voice consented beside Naruto's ear. The male jumped and jerked his head back around to see the Emperor's son leaning over him. He flushed bright red, all the while wondering how he'd managed to get so close without Naruto noticing. It was kinda freaky. "However, maybe that's what makes you so attractive to me. You don't fear anything…however, fear me or not, you will respect me. Do we understand each other?"

"Y-Yes…highness," Naruto replied, leaning back on the pillow. However, the other male, who'd gone from leaning to kneeling over him, followed him. Wonderful. "Highness?"

"I wonder…" the red head above the blonde mumbled softly before grabbing his head and kissing Naruto roughly. More good news for the already injured and somewhat freaked out blonde. Not that he could do much about it either, so he only closed his eyes and waited for it to be over. Not responding might not be the smartest thing to do, but he wasn't about to kiss back. He could feel passion radiating from the other's lips, but it was almost possessive passion, not loving passion. The Emperor's son wanted to own Naruto, not love him.

The kiss ended eventually, leaving Naruto gasping for air and watching to other through slightly hazy eyes. The red head watched back, lightly smirking. He'd enjoyed the kiss, even if Naruto hadn't kissed back. He knew he would be able to get the boy to do so eventually. He wanted the smaller boy beneath him. He wanted to keep him locked away safely in the palace where he wouldn't be stolen away by some woman or another man. He was a gem, underneath his rough exterior. And all gems were meant to be protected, even if it meant that he had to be locked away in the harem.

"Hnn, indeed…I think you'll be the one I choose," he mumbled with a grin before moving and lifting Naruto off of his big comfy pillow. The blonde flushed and grit his teeth when his leg was moved. It still hurt. He bit his tongue to stop from whimpering, though he knew the one holding him could still hear it somewhat. A light vibration told him the other was speaking again. "You try to be so strong…Why not just cry if it hurts?"

"There's no point telling you. You wouldn't understand…" Naruto mumbled in reply. The other said nothing in reply to Naruto, but began walking out of the harem. Even if he knew what was probably going to come, Naruto couldn't help being afraid and looking back at the harem as he was carried out and the doors shut. He shuddered slightly and tensed in the royal's arms.

"Do you think you can run away still with your injured leg?" He felt the voice in his ear again and shuddered.

"It's not that…." He replied in a hushed voice.

"Oh? Then what is it, pray tell?"

"Anyone would feel nervous when they're being carried to what they assume is their deflowering…and as much as I struggle, I can't find a way to get out of it."

"…You've never been touched before?"

"Of course not! I wanted to save my body and my heart for the person I wanted to share eternity with…I've never let a person touch me more than to hug me or kiss me on the cheek…Maybe you wouldn't understand, but I find something special about saving yourself for that one person in your life that you can confidently say you would share eternity with. Otherwise there's no meaning to it."

"What does it matter if your body is pure or not? As long as you both want to be together, don't the feelings absolve you from physical impurity?"

"You're the only one who can say that, you highness, because no one will question you."

"Indeed…and my name is Gaara. Only you can use my name."

"What makes me so special?"

"You're aesthetic beauty as well as your confident attitude. You're a rarity, a gem. I want you all to myself. You fear nothing, not even me…yet you seem willing to relent and respect me."

"I'm no fool, Gaara-sama. I know that sometimes one must relent in order to survive and keep their head, or else their life has no meaning. And how long are you going to carry me? Is your room really that far away from your harem?" Naruto turned to look out ahead of them into a dimly lit hall. He really was getting sick of being carried. It wasn't that he couldn't walk; it was just really damn painful when he did.

"Impatient?" Gaara asked, highly amused.

"Not at all…" Naruto mumbled in reply, his face flushing. He'd been caught there. It sounded like he was, when he wasn't. He didn't want to be touched in that manner, not even by a king's son. "Gaara-sama, what makes you so sure you're attracted to me in this sort of way…? And what you feel isn't just a sort of blind adoration that you've turned into lust…?"

"I know my feelings, Naruto," Gaara replied firmly, squeezing him a little to make the point even more clear. "If all I felt was blind lust, I would have had you the first night you were here, injured leg or not."

"…Ah. I understand," Naruto flushed and bowed his head.

"I don't think you do, actually," Gaara commented softly before opening a door and entering a somewhat brightly lit chamber. He set Naruto down on what would obviously be called a bed and crawled on top of him. The blond shivered and placed his hands on Gaara's upper arms, as if that would keep him from coming too close. The red head smirked and leaned forward despite his hands to plant a kiss on the corner of Naruto's mouth. "Don't think that just that will stop me."

Gaara leaned forward again and kissed Naruto's lips, pushing them open with his tongue and tasting the inside of the other's mouth. Naruto whimpered and tried to push the red head away, only to find his hands pinned down on either side of him. The tongue in his mouth continued to wander around before pulling out and licking the side of his face lightly. The blond couldn't do anything but look away in some form of shame.

"Is it really so shameful?" Gaara asked lightly as he watched the other male's face. "Is it so shameful to receive my love and to enjoy it?"

"When that love means nothing to me…when I can't return such affection, it is shameful," Naruto murmured in reply. "When I can't feel anything beyond the pleasure of having you touch me, it's nothing but a lustful act. If I were to do something like this with you, I'd want it to be because I have feelings for you. Because I want to spend my life by your side…even if it could only be as your lover because I am a man."

"What makes you feel that way? What gives you such strength to deny even an emperor's son what he wants?"

"Because I am alone…I decided that I would treasure and savor life, which means waiting for the person I really love…And if I never find them, I'll live my life alone."

"But won't that be a meaningless existence?"

"Not so long as I feel satisfied with what I have done in life."

"You really seem so naïve. You should taste all the pleasures in life while you can. Grasp them tightly and bite from the forbidden fruit. You only have one life. Why not enjoy it?"

"You won't always be able to enjoy your life…You'll one day become the emperor, and then you must rule with a firm right hand of justice, but a gentle left hand that shows compassion. You will have to make difficult choices…"

"What would you know of it?"

"Your father conquered the kingdom I came from! How could I not? When I was only a small child I was swept away from my homeland and brought here, to the foreign kingdom that wanted to annihilate the place of my birth. How could I know nothing of it?" Naruto turned to look Gaara in the eyes defiantly. The red head could tell the other was on the verge of crying, but was trying his best to hold back. He chuckled.

"If you have to cry, cry. I won't mock you. I think, Naruto, that I'll keep you by my side as my personal attendant. It is more fun talking to you than trying to force my way into your body. And this way, I can win your heart for real," Gaara murmured softly into Naruto's ear as he nibbled the lobe slightly. "I'll be waiting for the day you say that you love me."

"I'll never say it. Never…" Naruto mumbled back in a soft gasp, still grasping Gaara's upper arms. He pushed on them again. When Gaara didn't move from his position, the blond spoke up again. "I thought you weren't going to force me…"

"And I'm not," Gaara replied flatly.

"But you're still on top of me…" Naruto pointed out, blushing.

"Oh? You are still my property. I'll do as I please with you," the red head replied with a grin.

"…" Naruto turned away, unable to say what he wanted to say for fear of a punishment. He knew that this person could be frighteningly cruel. He'd heard stories. It was only not that Naruto realized that the young heir had been surprisingly gentle with him. It was an unheard of thing. Usually this boy just took what he wanted by force. "Gaara-sama?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Are any of those stories true? About how cruel you are? And how you simply take what you want? I heard once that you love to fight and relish in the feeling of being covered in blood…"

"Yeah…it's true. I was born to be a warrior. I take everything by force."

"Then…why not me?"

"Because I like you too much. You're my one precious thing; my gem that I want to keep all to myself. I don't understand anything else but to take and to survive, so maybe you'll teach me love."

"But I don't even understand love…"

"You understand it better than you think you do," Gaara reaffirmed with a smirk before sliding off to lie beside Naruto. "Now sleep. Tomorrow you'll be given clothes to fit an attendant and begin your duties."

"Which are?"

"To stay by my side and serve me."

"You're spoiled."

"Emperor's son, remember?"

"Point."

"Now, good night, Naruto."

"G'night, Gaara-sama."

**next day!**

Gaara awoke the next morning to find that he was alone in the bed. He sat up suddenly, whipping his head around to look for Naruto. He didn't see him until the curtains that covered his balcony stopped billowing in the morning wind for a moment and a swatch of blond hair could be seen. The young heir stood and walked over to see what his new attendant was doing. What he saw wasn't quite what he'd expected.

Naruto had taken off his top and was sitting on the railing of the balcony. The breeze blew through his hair and he had a sort of happy, yet longing smile on his face. It was almost like he would jump off the balcony at any moment and try to fly, like a bird escaping from a cage. Slightly tanned arms rose up and a bird landed on it. It chirped before taking off again. The blond looked sad to see the bird leave. Gaara took the chance to look Naruto's body over and noticed the tattoo on his stomach. He couldn't see all of it, but there was enough of it visible that he became concerned.

"Naruto," Gaara called out. The blond jerked to look at the other with a surprised and slightly frightened face. It wasn't a look Gaara liked. It was a desperate look that told volumes about the boy before him. "Cover yourself up…We'll talk about it later."

"Y-yes, Gaara-sama," Naruto flushed and grabbed his shirt from where he'd discarded it, hiding the tattoo on his stomach. He'd been careless to do something like this where Gaara might see him. But it was something he did almost every morning, a habit. He walked cautiously back into the bedchamber, afraid that he might be slammed into a wall and interrogated.

"I'm amazed you've survived all this time with that mark on your stomach," a voice behind him commented in a growling voice. Strong arms wrapped around Naruto and he felt hands slide under his shirt. He shivered and whimpered.

"Gaara-sama…please, don't do this," Naruto begged, his voice quiet.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please to my property, Naruto," Gaara hissed, squeezing him a little to make him whimper again. "Especially when he bears the royal mark of a destroyed kingdom. We kill members of the royal family, that way the kingdom can never be rebuilt."

"Gaara-sama…I'm not a member of royalty in the sense that you think…I'm the son of a mistress. I was never going to be an heir, however all my father's sons were killed in the war with your kingdom. I'm illegitimate and not an heir to anything. However, because I do indeed have my father's genes, I have to be tattooed with the royal seal," Naruto explained in a pleading voice. "Please, Gaara-sama. I don't have any interest in my old home. I was never accepted there anyways. And wouldn't it work to your advantage to have me by your side now? No one that knows my background is still breathing, save you and me. For the rest of the world, I'm the legitimate successor and a powerful political tool, no?"

"You…what political power could you possibly have?"

"Ask your father. That's the reason why he destroyed my country. We were growing too powerful politically, so he chose a moment when out allies could not send aid to crush us. A beautiful strategy, no? He crushed the epicenter of what could have become the greatest nation of all time. All the kingdoms were beginning to come together to create one nation. However, when my country fell, those dreams were destroyed as well…"

"Then you'd be a very powerful bargaining chip, wouldn't you?"

"I would."

"Why would my father be so careless?"

"I told you that my birth wasn't highly regarded. Why should he know?"

"You're good, Naruto. Almost as good as the bastard, Neji Hyuuga. You two would be able to talk your way out of any situation."

"I'm normally all action, you know. But you overpower me, so I choose the politician's route."

"Then it's good that I choose to keep you by my side. I'll keep this to myself and not tell anyone your little secret. However, you now have no say in what I do to you. If I want you, you simply bend over and take it, got it?" Gaara growled again and pulled the other closely to his body to rock his hips against his buttocks.

"Y-yes…Gaara-sama," Naruto replied, face flushed. He couldn't deny it felt good. Maybe he was just a pervert at heart, but the touch of a man felt better than that of a woman's.

"Such a pretty red colour. You must really like me touching you, even if you say you don't love me," the red head laughed harshly in Naruto's ear, nipping the lobe. Naruto shivered and turned as best he could in the other's grip to touch Gaara's lips to his. The other male responded by pushing his mouth open and sliding his tongue in. Naruto mewled as he felt that warm sensation spreading all throughout his body. It was nothing but a passionate, lustful act but damn it sure felt good.

The sudden sound of the doors to Gaara's room opening made them separate, though the young emperor-to-be kept an arm around Naruto's waist. A messenger servant came in. He bore the necklace that had the Emperor's seal on it. A message from the Emperor.

"Yes?" Gaara asked in a suddenly dignified voice. It was so cold and distant from the one he' d used just a moment ago when he'd been messing around with Naruto.

"You're father request's your presence immediately, your Highness," the servant squeaked out. He sounded terrified. Naruto couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing. He peered over at Gaara and saw a frightening look on the male's face. No wonder everyone said he was raving mad and wanted to murder his father…

"Very well. I'll be there momentarily," Gaara paused and looked over at Naruto, who got a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach. "And my attendant will be accompanying me."

Of course. Gaara just had to put him into the snake pit. Naruto was totally screwed if the Emperor found out about his real identity. But did Gaara care? Noooo, of course not! The messenger nodded and scrambled out of the room. Gaara squeezed Naruto's hip tightly.

"Don't even think of trying to get away from me, Naruto. You'll have to be with me around my father sometime. Better now than later when you've become used to the palace and drop your guard. You can never be lax anyways, because you never know when politicians will be coming to visit or courtiers will be out in the gardens," Gaara said flatly. Naruto opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it and nodded hid head. What Gaara said made sense, but that didn't mean he liked it one bit.

"Yes, Gaara-sama," Naruto murmured softly.

"And you can't call me Gaara in front of them either. Only when we're alone. When in front of my father and others, you must use proper honorifics," Gaara added. Naruto tensed. He didn't want to, but he would. He slowly nodded his head. "Good boy. Now, we should be going. My father isn't a patient man."

"Yes…your Highness," Naruto swallowed. He waited to be released from Gaara's hold so that he could don the attendant's uniform. Gaara held him a moment longer, before letting him go and allowing the blond boy to dress in the appropriate attire. Naruto moved forward a few steps before pausing. He straightened himself up and gathered the clothing from the stone table they were laying on. He slipped out of his top and pulled on the new one. It was simple for the most part. Loose and flowing, allowing air to blow through it since it was still early in the summer months. At the bottom a fancy design danced around the bottom of the sleeve, a butterfly danced up to about the middle. Naruto paused again before quickly changing his pants as well. They were also light because of the summer months and had the same fancy pattern around the bottom.

"Naruto, come here," Gaara called after he noted that the other was finished dressing. Naruto walked over without complaint and stopped in front of the red head. He felt something cold go around his neck and jumped back. A hand shot out and gripped his arm to drag him back. "Stop being difficult and just let me do this."

"No! Even I can't submit to that!" Naruto yelled pushing against Gaara, who only held on tighter and pulled him closer.

"Naruto! Stop struggling, dammit! It will be going on whether you want it to or not. So either stop struggling and just let me put it on and it won't hurt, or continue struggling and have me force you down on the bed and put it on," Gaara growled. Naruto pushed a little more before stopping and holding up his head. This was absolutely humiliating. He also had to wear a few anklets, though those seemed to be just out of Gaara's fancy rather than need.

Once finished with that…task…Gaara headed out for the throne hall where his father would surely be. He seemed preoccupied and agitated, although that was to be expected when one has to struggle to put a marking necklace on an attendant. He peered to the side and saw that Naruto was following after him silently, with his head bowed as he should.

Gaara burst into the throne hall, looking calm and distant. Many of the female courtiers giggled in delight. Gaara ignored them and walked forward, while Naruto walked along behind the pillars. Gaara spotted him occasionally through the sea of courtiers.

"Father," Gaara paused and kneeled a few feet away from the throne that held his father. "You called for me."

"Yes. Neji Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha have arrived here in the capital for a war meeting," his father spoke with a flowing voice that could make you roll over in your grave. "You will attend as well and you will keep them company until the meeting in three days time….oh, yes and bring your new _attendant_ along."

"…Yes, father," Gaara said as calmly as he could, but inside he was seething. He knew that both the Hyuuga heir and Uchiha heir would find Naruto as fascinating as he did. He stood and bowed before turning and leaving. He continued to fume inside his mind. Once he was outside, he waited for Naruto to catch up. The blond walked as quickly as he could, stopping just before he ran into Gaara. The red head looked at the blond for a moment, letting his eyes roam.

"H-Highness?" Naruto murmured softly, looking up at Gaara with a blushing face. He stepped closer and spoke in almost a whisper, "Gaara-sama?"

Gaara was about to reply when an amused, cold chuckle broke the silence that had been prevailing. Peering around Naruto, Gaara saw the source of the laugh. Not that he actually had to see to know who it was anyways. There stood Neji Hyuuga, heir to the Hyuuga family and a very powerful family at that. Scowling, the red head pulled Naruto close to his body and kept an arm around his waist. Naruto only turned a deeper shade of red.

"Hyuuga Neji, a pleasure as always, I'm sure," Gaara greeted the noble flatly.

"The pleasure will always be mine, Excellency," Neji replied, bowing slightly. "And might I comment that you have a new attendant."

"I do."

"As we are to be spending the next three days together, should I not learn his name?"

Gaara looked down at Naruto, who was still blushing bright red. He released the male, who took his rightful place just slightly behind his master. He bowed his head and tried to fight away his blush. Gaara began walking towards the teen, brushing past him and going out to the gardens. Naruto followed after him quickly and quietly. He didn't know what else to do, the look in that boy's eyes was somewhat unnerving. It was a look hungry look that blazed even brighter when Naruto looked at him briefly. It was a look that the blond knew would bring bad things. And Gaara's already possessive nature was bound to get worse if this Hyuuga person started making moves towards him.

A sudden brushing movement along his ass made the boy jump. He turned to look at who had done it, but saw no one there. This was just getting better and better. The only person he could think of who would do that, would be Hyuuga-sama. Naruto shuddered. He was not happy about this.

"Naruto," Gaara called out. His voice was echoing, which made Naruto realize that he'd stopped to see who had touched him and hadn't gone back to moving just yet. He flushed yet again and hurried down the hall to Gaara's side. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Highness," Naruto murmured lightly. "There was something that diverted my attention. It won't happen again…"

"…I see," Gaara frowned, not liking the reply one bit. He couldn't ask in front of Neji, so he'd weasel the answer out of the blond later when they were in the gardens and managed to lose Neji for even a few minutes. "See that it doesn't."

He turned again and headed out to the gardens, making sure that Naruto was following him and not being lead off somewhere by Neji. He growled in annoyance just thinking about it and reached back to grab Naruto's wrist, practically dragging him down the steps and into the garden. Naruto followed after as best he could and tried not to trip over his own feet, which was getting harder and harder with Gaara picking up the pace and pulling him along.

"Highness, I'll trip!" Naruto called out, trying to reclaim his wrist and save his dignity, as he really was about to fall. However, Gaara didn't stop, he didn't even pause to let the blond regain his footing. He just kept going, and as a result, Naruto finally fell in a heap on the ground, completely embarrassed and still having Gaara tug on his wrist. He tugged back the get the red head to turn around. "Please let go of me, Highness."

Gaara was somewhat confused, if not surprised when he felt something tug back on his hand. He turned back to find that Naruto had tripped and fallen, and was the one who had tugged to get his attention so he wouldn't just keep walking. Neji kneeled down next to Naruto, making Gaara scowl. The Hyuuga just didn't know when to leave things along, did he?

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Neji asked gently, placing a hand on the blond's upper arm. Naruto flinched away.

"I…I'm fine, Hyuuga-sama," Naruto replied quietly, trying to move away without making it obvious that's what he was doing. He pushed himself up and dusted off his backside before looking at Gaara again. "Highness, if you don't have any immediate need of me, may I go back to the room and tend to myself? It seems that my ankle got twisted when I fell. How clumsy of me."

"…Can you really make it back with a hurt ankle, Naruto?" Neji spoke up from his position of still kneeling on the ground. Gaara glared at him to keep out of it.

"I'll be fine, Hyuuga-sama," Naruto smiled at the noble momentarily. "However, it's only up to his highness. I'll stay, if he needs me."

"Go back to the room, Naruto. But you had better come right back here when you're finished," Gaara replied, looking away.

"Yes, Your Highness," Naruto consented and bowed. He turned and slowly limped his way back towards Gaara's bedchambers. Neji watched him leaving and looked up at the young emperor's heir.

"You're certainly a cold one. You'd make him limp all the way there and all the way back. If he were my lover I'd carry him to the room and keep him there," Neji replied with a cold tone, though there was a sense of longing in it as well.

"Stay out of, Neji. We aren't lovers," Gaara growled.

"Oh? Then I guess he's free game. I imagine he tastes great though," Neji grinned, watching Gaara's expression darken considerably. "You have no right to look at me like that, Excellency, if he means nothing to you. He's free game to have fun with then, and I like his look. I bet that even though he acts subdued, he's really full of fire and spunk."

"I'm telling you now, Hyuuga, I could care less about your political standing and what my father tells me to do, I will kill you if you touch him," Gaara snapped spinning around to fully face the person he'd been conversing with this whole time.

"You worry about me so much, but what about the other predator that you know so well? After all, you sent your poor Naruto out without any one to protect him from that charmer Sasuke. He has more standing than me and it's more likely that Naruto would like someone like Sasuke than some one like you. He'd choose someone who isn't so possessive, even if Sasuke is still somewhat possessive as well. He sure as hell isn't as bad as you," Neji laughed. As if on cue a loud yelp echoed through the hall and out into the gardens. Both boys recognized the voice and ran to see what had happened.

_**Sooooo….this is chapter one of My Butterfly. It makes absolutely no sense, but it's fun to write and so I write it. Yay for Othello!**_


	2. By My Side

**So, here be chapter 2 of _My Butterfly._ Dunno if it's really all that good of a story, but I do like writing it and it gives me something to do, so yeah.**

My Butterfly 

This was just peachy. Really. How did he manage to get himself into these situations? Naruto held his flushed face in his hands, while two stronger arms held him in the air. This was just pitiful, and Naruto was pretty sure he'd never be able to live it down. He'd been on his way back to Gaara's rooms to tend to his sprained ankle when he'd tripped and landed in the arms of someone he didn't know.

This person had proceeded to scoop him up into their arms, which made him yelp. And this was no quiet yelp. Oh no, of course not. He practically screamed, which then echoed down the long stone corridor. He just felt like dying right now, really. The person holding him began to laugh.

"My, my…you are quite the jumpy one, aren't you? Perhaps you should be more careful," an amused, smooth voice commented. Naruto only flushed even more.

"I…I'm sorry, Lord. I…I have a hurt ankle, and I can't walk very well at the moment. Please, I'm really sorry," Naruto explained quickly as he tried to get out of the noble's arms. He would only get into more trouble if other nobility saw him being held. Even other servants would get him into trouble.

"Stop squirming," the male holding him commanded as he tightened his grip. The blonde couldn't fight against someone with that much strength. However, when a familiar voice called out his name, he had a sudden sinking feeling that he was going to be in a lot of trouble if he didn't try to get out of the strong grasp.

"Please, sir, I'm alright now. You can put me down," he mumbled, though he did try to say it in as loud and convincing a voice as possible.

"Are you? I couldn't help but feel that I should keep you in my arms, for fear that you are actually an illusion of my mind."

_Is this guy hitting on me? And what kind of pick up line is that?_ Naruto rolled his eyes, completely throwing the fact that he was a servant and this man nobility to the back of his mind. He pushed against the other male's chest, kicked up his legs and sort of rolled out of his rescuer's arms. Of course, the sensation of landing on the ground with his sprained ankle was rather shocking and made him whimper a bit, but at least he was on his own two feet again.

"Naruto," a familiar voice said from above him. Looking up, Naruto saw Gaara staring down at him. He didn't look particularly happy either. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing, Highness," Naruto replied softly, pushing himself up into a standing position. "On the way back to your chambers, I tripped and this man was kind enough to catch me before I fell to the floor. That's all."

"Then why did I hear you shriek?"

"Anyone would shriek when they thought their face was going to be rearranged by a marble floor. Besides, it was more due to the fact that when said Sir caught me, he lifted me into the air and surprised me."

"You sound as cheeky as ever."

"Only for you, Highness. As it seems you like me this way."

"Your mouthing off will get you killed one of these days."

"But not today."

"While I hate to interrupt this adorable little interlude, perhaps you should introduce him, Prince Gaara," Neji interrupted them both, bringing them back to the realization that there were two people other than themselves here. Gaara, however, narrowed his eyes when he saw who the person was that caught Naruto. Neji gently took Naruto's hand and led him a few paces away from the red head and, now that Naruto got to really look, a remarkably good-looking young man with black hair.

"Neji-sama, why have we moved all the way over here?" Naruto asked with genuine curiosity.

"Those two have a vicious rivalry. They fight over everything, even really trivial things. And what makes it worse is they have the same taste in lovers, so they're constantly trying to steal each other's lovers, as well," Neji explained with an amused look on his face. "To put it simply, they hate each other."

"And you find it amusing, I take it, Neji-sama," Naruto pointed out dryly while making an annoyed face as the other two tried to stare each other down. Even when Neji turned to deny it, Naruto stopped him. "It's no use denying it. I can tell by the look on your face…But, maybe that's why Neji-sama will be a good person to be by Gaara-sama's side when he becomes Emperor. Neji-sama is better at observing situations and making quick precise judgments…right?"

"How could you assume all that from just meeting me?" Neji stopped paying attention to the fight all together and turned his full attention to Naruto.

"I can't. It's just guessing. But based on how you reacted, I'm pretty sure I'm right. Which means I can trust Neji-sama to at least look after Gaara in matters of state," Naruto replied, smiling a bright smile. It was dazzling and Neji almost felt like he had to take a step back. "Neji-sama, will you do me a favor? Will you tell Gaara-sama that I just went back to the room without him?"

"Why do you figure he'd even go with you?" Neji raised an eyebrow.

"'Cause, it's Gaara-sama. He'll never let something he believes is his to be taken away by someone else," Naruto answered, moving down the hall slowly because he was limping. Neji watched the blonde leave and chuckled a bit. The boy was certainly interesting. All it took was a little bit of agitation and his true nature came forth, which was really quite refreshing. No one ever said what they meant in politics, and it was easy to get tired of it. Naruto brought in a sense of freshness that hadn't been present in the capital before.

"Neji…Neji. Neji!" Someone yelled and made the Hyuuga boy jump.

"What? What the hell do you want? What's all the yelling for?" He glared in the general direction of where the yelling came from.

"Where did Naruto go?" This was all he got for an answer, which meant it was Gaara that had yelled at him.

"He told me to tell you and Sasuke that he went back to the room ahead of you, because he didn't feel like watching your pissing match," Neji replied, still annoyed with being yelled at.

"And you didn't stop him, why?" This time it was Sasuke. What the hell was with these two and ganging up on him?

"Because Naruto said some interesting things to me previous to his departure, and I couldn't bring myself to stop him because of that. You got a problem with it, go catch him. He couldn't have gotten far because he's limping. By the way, Gaara, why does it look like he's more seriously injured than just a sprained ankle?"

"He tried to run away when he was first brought here and the guards that were chasing him stabbed him in the leg to stop him. Why?" Gaara replied.

"Because I think the wound might have reopened a bit," Neji replied. "Of course, this is all due to the fact that you wanted him up and about so soon, I conjure."

"I knew it would be a bad idea for you two to meet each other…You both are too insightful," Gaara murmured under his breath.

"I beg your pardon?" Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. Nevermind. I'm going back to my chambers," Gaara grumbled in annoyance.

"Oi! Don't forget that you have to keep us company until that war meeting in three days time," Neji called to Gaara as the young royal began walking away from him and Sasuke. The red head stopped and twitched in annoyance. Oh, how he hated his father.

"Fine. Fine. Come on then," he spat out in annoyance as he continued down the hall, walking faster than he had before. He didn't run into Naruto, which meant that the boy had made it back to his room before him. However, when he opened his chamber doors and waltzed in, the first thing he saw was a giant pillow coming at his face and he faintly heard someone yelling at him.

"Don't just come in when you know someone is in here, you jerk!" Naruto yelled when he saw Gaara walking through the bedchamber doors. He grabbed the nearest thing to him, which was a giant pillow and threw it with all his might. Apparently, he'd caught Gaara off guard, because it hit the young emperor to be square in the face. Not that Naruto could really bring himself to care about that at the moment. What he really cared about was covering his body up, since his wound from being stabbed had been reopened slightly and was bleeding again. The blonde hadn't noticed until he'd gotten back to the room, but there were bloodstains appearing on his pant leg, which meant he was going to have to wash it. And he was going to have to wash the wound as well. In order to do this, Naruto had found water that was leftover from the previous night, poured it into a washbowl and found a cloth to use to rinse it out.

Of course, Gaara and his little friends had to barge in right when Naruto had barely started his venture to clean out his wound. Thus, Gaara got a pillow in the face and Naruto scrambled for the bed sheets to cover his revealed lower half. Once he'd covered himself, he glared at them all, like it wasn't solely Gaara's fault for his embarrassment.

"Next time, how about you let me know you're there?" Naruto grumbled, his face flush with his embarrassment at having been exposed to more people.

"You're my attendant. I'll do as I please. Not to mention that this is my room," Gaara snapped back. Being hit with a pillow in the face had clearly bruised his pride.

"Are you always gonna get this grouchy when I do something that normal people can't do to you?"

"I doubt you can do much else, Naruto."

"Life is full of surprises, Gaara-sama."

"You two are totally forgetting about us again," Neji interrupted pointedly. Naruto flushed and turned around to go back to his previous task. He gingerly uncovered his injured leg and pulled the cloth out of the water. It hurt more than he cared to mention to push the cloth against his reopened wound, but he'd deal with it. A hand suddenly stopped him and Naruto was about to mouth off to whoever it was that was stopping him when a pair of lips pressed against his own. Naruto was pretty sure he turned bright red. The hand that stopped him before took the cloth he was using and dipped in the water. Bringing it back over (Naruto could hear the water dripping all over the floor) the person put it gently back on his leg and pressed. Naruto hissed and tried to pull away from the person attempting to attend to him and kiss him.

"Let the hell go of me!" Naruto exclaimed, pushing away and holding onto both his leg and the sheet that was covering him. The blonde tried to scramble as far away as he possibly could and turned to face the other three males with a somewhat terrified look on his face. He did not like the way things were going. He was pretty much helpless. "Just leave me alone. I can take care of my injury myself…."

To say that Gaara was annoyed was an understatement. Naruto was being difficult and he didn't want to deal with difficulties right now. He growled under his breath and glared at Naruto when he scrambled away from him. There had to be something wrong with him for liking the blonde the way he did.

"You just shut up, get you ass over here and let me tend to your leg, dammit," Gaara growled. Neji simply watched in amusement, while Sasuke seemed to be having trouble keeping in his laughter.

"Pfft. Can you not control your own servants, Excellency?" Sasuke asked with his voice still slightly muffled because he couldn't get his giggles under control. However, there was still a challenge in his voice. Naruto glared at the male.

"You think you'd be any better, then, Sasuke? I doubt it," Gaara sighed. He watched Naruto, who glared back at all three of them. "He's a rather difficult little thing, even if he looks like he should be helpless. Trust me. I kn-"

Gaara was cut short by another pillow hitting him in the face. He grabbed it and looked at Naruto with agitation. The blonde glared back defiantly. Sasuke burst out laughing and even Neji had to chuckle a little too.

"Don't think of me as some sort of pet, dammit. I'm still a human being, even if being an attendant is considered a sub-human job," Naruto growled, finding another pillow and throwing it at Neji, who caught it easily enough.

"No one ever said that, Naruto," Neji pointed out lightly.

"Doesn't matter. You still think it, Neji-sama," Naruto replied, turning his head away from the three. Gaara sighed, getting even more annoyed. He'd even talked with the blonde about respecting him in front of others this morning. This was just causing a mess. Neji smirked a bit before quickly and quietly making his way over to Naruto and grabbing the cloth. He dipped it in the water and gingerly dabbed it against the boy's leg. Naruto bit his lip and gripped Neji's arm. "Damn. Do you have to touch it, Neji-sama?"

"If you want it to get any better, yeah," Neji commented with a hint of amusement in his voice. He dipped it in the water again and brought it back to the injury. He could feel Gaara glaring at his back, but shrugged it off. After all, it wasn't everyday one got to touch such a creature as this. Naruto, while wild and unpredictable, was very alluring. His unnatural blonde hair and blue eyes made him quite the rarity. "You should just stop griping about it and let us tend to you, since we all seem to have taken a liking to you."

"…" Naruto couldn't bring himself to reply to that comment and instead turned bright red. Neji laughed and Gaara looked positively murderous. Sasuke coolly raised an eyebrow and moved over to sit down beside Naruto as well. The blonde looked at the other male and suddenly felt like now would be a good time to freak out. However, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"You look rather unnerved, Naruto," Sasuke smirked.

"N-Not at all…Sasuke-sama…" Naruto shuddered. The dark haired teen had a very interesting voice that made him melt. Gaara growled in an obvious effort to get the two to get away from his attendant. He stood from his kneeling position, stormed over and shoved Sasuke away. He wasn't fond of Neji, to be sure, but Sasuke was a bigger threat than Neji was.

"Neji, get away from him. In fact, get out. Both of you, get out," Gaara snapped, pointing to the main door. "I could care less what my father said. I'll keep you company at a later date. Right now my attendant and I are going to have a…discussion."

"Oh-ho. I see," Neji raised an eyebrow elegantly. He looked at Naruto in amusement. Naruto just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. The look in Neji's eyes was as if he was trying to strip him down right here and now. It was the same lustful, hungry look the male had had before when they first met. It was frightening. Neji leaned in close to the blonde's ear and whispered sensuously, "I'll see you later then, Naruto."

"Y-Yes…Neji-sama," Naruto shuddered and whispered. Neji grinned and stood up. That had been easier than he thought it would be. He turned away and left the room with a confidence in his stride. Sasuke, too, stood and left the room with a confident swagger. Naruto blushed rose red again. Both of those people were going to be trouble. However, once both of those people were gone, Naruto got a sense that he was in even more impending danger from his actual master. He turned to see that he was right in his guess. Wonderful. "G-Gaara-sama…please…I'm sorry for anything I may have done to upset you…"

"Oh, you'll be sorry all right, Naruto," Gaara growled, pulling the boy close to his body. Naruto squeaked and curled up his body, hoping it would present as good defense from the angered royal. However, all it served to do was annoy Gaara and to show Naruto just how annoyed he was, he caught him in a bruising kiss. The blonde whimpered slightly before bringing up a hand to gently caress his master's cheek.

A strong hand gripped his wrist and pulled it away. Naruto pulled away from the kiss to look at Gaara with somewhat terrified eyes. What exactly was this man planning to do to him? Lips descended on his neck this time, kissing briefly before he felt teeth bite the juncture of his neck. Naruto yelped and pushed away from the red haired teen.

"Gaara-sama….please…don't," Naruto whispered. He tried to back up but found that Gaara was still holding his arm captive. "I'm sorry. Please, I'm really sorry that I let them get close to me. And I'm sorry if I got mouthy. Personality is a hard thing to change…"

"Get over here. I could care less about you getting mouthy. What I don't like is the fact that those two got so close to you. I detest the fact that Neji actually touched you, and the look of unbridled lust in his eyes makes me even angrier," he replied to the non-existent question. Gaara pulled Naruto back to him and lifted him up into his lap. The blonde squeaked in some form of surprise and blushed.

"Uhm, Gaara-sama…you're, uhm…well, you're hard," Naruto pointed out with much trouble. The red head holding him laughed and kissed the juncture in his neck.

"So I am, Naruto. So I am," he commented softly into Naruto's ear, making said boy shudder. "Your demeanor is just so adorable after all. Not to mention your sensual body…"

"You're reading too much into my body," Naruto interjected quickly.

"I wouldn't have taken you off the streets if it weren't," Gaara pointed out, frowning. "Much as I like your personality, I also want to sleep with something pretty and pleasing to the eyes."

"We're also not sleeping together. I'm your attendant, not your lover."

"The reason I made you my attendant was so I could make you my lover."

"I don't want to sleep with you. I'm not in love with you."

"And maybe you'll feel differently one of these days."

"Never ever. If I'm only around you, I'm bound to develop feelings for you."

"Ah, you've discovered my evil plot to have you all to myself," Gaara mocked while nibbling on Naruto's ear. He gently grabbed onto both of Naruto's hands as well. "Let's just put it this way…The longer you refuse to give into me, the more tightly I'll hold you to me. You're my precious rarity, my gem."

"You're a cheater, Gaara-sama," Naruto mumbled softly. Gaara laughed.

"I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want, Naruto. I've never cheated a day in my life," Gaara replied calmly.

"See? You are a cheater. You take advantage of your status to do whatever you want," Naruto pointed out.

"Isn't that what most politicians do?"

"But you're not a politician. You are the heir to royal throne. And while you may have to deal with politicians and courtiers and soldiers when you become Emperor, you must still be upright and set the example for your people. Without a strong leader, the nation will crumble," Naruto calmly elaborated.

"I am strong."

"I suppose…But Sasuke and Neji will make excellent members of your council when you become Emperor. And don't you dare make a face about it, Gaara-sama. Those two are the only two who have enough stomach not to be afraid of you and voice their opinions to you. Not to mention, they have useful talents that you'll need when you come into power," Naruto snapped out quickly.

"How would you know that?" Gaara questioned temporarily tightening his grip on Naruto's hands.

"Talking with Neji gave me enough information to evaluate him…And Sasuke, well, when he picked me up, I could feel his muscular body. He'll make a good Minister of War, I think," Naruto replied.

"And you?"

"Pardon?"

"What is your place beside me when I become Emperor?"

"I…I have no place really…I mean, after all, I am only your attendant. And even if you did make me your lover, it's not like there's much else I could do…"

"I dislike this layout of my reign over the empire. You are mine, and you will stay by my side even when I become emperor," Gaara grumbled in annoyance, pulling the blonde's hand to his lips and kissing it. "You are never to leave my side."

"I am not some object you can just possess, Gaara-sama. I have my own feelings…my own life," Naruto pushed against the red head, reclaiming his hand.

"That doesn't mean I can't want you all for myself, Naruto," Gaara said in a gruff voice, pulling the hand back to him. "I want you by my side. There is no reason for you not to be except that you cannot accept that position. If you did, then nothing would matter, would it? After all, you will eventually take you place by my side."

"You're so confident," Naruto sighed. "What if I fall in love with someone else?"

"That wouldn't happen," Gaara replied in a growling voice.

"Oh? But, both Neji-sama and Sasuke-sama are interested in me as well aren't they? What if I were to fall in love with one of them?" Naruto commented in a sly manner. Gaara was silent for a moment. Then, suddenly, he pulled Naruto up and threw him onto the bed. Climbing on top of the other male, the red head held his arms above his head and kissed him harshly.

"Don't you dare even think it, Naruto," Gaara growled low into Naruto's ear. "You belong to me and me alone."

He then proceeded to push the male's shirt up and kiss his chest lightly, running one hand along the boy's side while the other rested on Naruto's hip. The blonde whimpered slightly but didn't shy away from the touch. Gaara smirked and sought to move his hands down a little lower. Naruto yelped suddenly and grabbed a hold of the hands. That was going just a little too far for him.

"G-Gaara-sama…that's just a little too much…" Naruto mumbled, obviously embarrassed and blushing.

"Oh? Why are you so shy?"

"We-Well…Uhm…It's just that I'm not really ready for something like that. And besides, I told you that I want my virginity to be given to the person I plan to spend the rest of my life with," Naruto replied, pouting.

"Then there should be no problem, since you'll be spending the rest of your life with me," Gaara replied.

"Gaara-sama…" Naruto sighed, pushing himself up. "You keep saying that, but do you really think your father will allow you to not take any female concubines, not to mention not take a wife, and just keep your **male** attendant by your side at all times? He would go insane. He does want you to give an heir that will ensure the continuation of the empire."

"You…why would that matter?"

"People talk, Gaara-sama. If it suddenly became gossip that the heir to the throne was only having sex with only his male attendant, what do you think would happen?"

"You must be joking."

"'Afraid not."

"Tch. It doesn't matter anyways. If you won't let me make love to you, I'll have to sleep with my concubines to release my…tension, shall we call it? If I don't I may well attack you and take you against your will," Gaara grumbled, clearly agitated.

"Hn, so I get you that lustful, do I?"

"You act like you'd rather I was screwing you."

"I didn't say that."

"Your tone implied it…"

"Did not."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"I did not!" Naruto pouted, puffing out his cheeks and turning his head away from Gaara. "Besides, this is going to be your test, Gaara-sama."

"My test?" Gaara raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Yes, your test. How much do you really love me? Are you willing to stay true to only me and not have sex with anyone else? Or do I really mean that little to you? This is the test of your love for me, Gaara-sama," Naruto smiled in a fox-like way. Gaara could not help but feel like he'd been cornered into a bad deal for himself.

"So, you're saying that I can't have any sort of sex…? I have to remain true to you alone…?"

"That is usually what lovers do, is it not?"

"What do I get out of this deal?"

"If you can prove to me that you can stay loyal for a minimum of half a year…I'll agree to sleeping with you…I won't fight back, I'll let you do with me as you will," Naruto stated the terms and reward. Gaara almost thought he was dreaming for a moment.

"Are you really Naruto? My, Naruto? The one who said that he'd only give his virginity away to the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with?"

"How rude! Of course I am!" Naruto pouted again.

"Then why are you offering your body to me?"

"I'm not. I'm giving it in exchange for your fidelity, Gaara-sama," Naruto replied. "I'm saying I'll be your lover…I'll stay by your side, but only if you can prove yourself a loyal lover to me. I don't want to be with someone who will go off and sleep with some woman or another man on a whim…" Naruto shivered. "That would be too painful to bear. However, when you become Emperor, and are required to have an heir…only then will I ever allow you to cheat on me. But that's assuming you can make it half a year without sex."

"You...that is a horrible thing to do to a man, just to prove that he loves you," Gaara commented offhandedly.

"Are you saying you won't do it?"

"Oh, no. I will. I'm just saying, that it seems kind of cruel, don't you think?"

"Not really. That's how my mother made my father prove his love to her. Except he couldn't have sex for a whole year. Every night, he had to come sleep in her chambers so that she knew he wasn't cheating on the deal…Would you rather it be a whole year, Gaara-sama?" Naruto asked in a teasing way.

"No. That's not what I'm saying. So, your father won the wager then?"

"No. He couldn't even hold out two months before he forced my mother to spread her legs for him. I'm hoping you are stronger than that, Gaara-sama. Especially since I'm not forbidding you from touching me completely. So, prove your love and maybe then we'll have something worth talking about."

**Sooo…It's been a while, ne? I'm sure you'd all like to beat the crap outta me, but I have good reasons for stopping! I do! I really gotta concentrate on my schoolwork this year. It's really important for me to do well. I did want to at least post this though, since I know you've all been waiting for so long, so here ya go. Much Love, LoKi.**


	3. Expanding Deals

My Butterfly, My Concubine 

_Chapter Three: Expanding Deals_

Gaara chewed on his bottom lip in agitation. It had only been two days since he'd made that deal with Naruto and it was driving him absolutely mad. He couldn't stand the thought of not having sex for six whole months. The red head sighed and hung his head to look at the ground. Maybe making that deal hadn't been such a good idea.

"My, Excellency, you certainly seem gloomy today," a familiar voice called from behind. Gaara groaned and turned to see Neji Hyuuga standing behind him. He was smirking, in a manner of speaking. It was almost like he knew about the deal between Gaara and Naruto.

"You must be imagining things, Neji. I'm just contemplating certain things," Gaara replied stiffly.

"Oh? I see. And does this thing that's on your mind happen to have sunshine blond hair and sapphire blue eyes?" Neji asked in mock curiosity. He didn't really need to ask, but he did anyway…just to poke fun at the prince.

"You never know when to mind your own business do you?"

"I'm afraid not. However, Naruto seems to think that this is one of my good traits," Neji said with a smile. Gaara frowned. "He said it while you and Sasuke were having your pissing match two days ago. Don't get yourself in a snit."

"Ahem. If you two don't mind, I would like to finish cleaning sometime before the end of this year," a voice sounded behind them both, making them jump. Neither of them had sensed the person coming up at all. Turning to see this master of stealth, Neji was surprised to see, of all people, Naruto. The boy looked fairly agitated, too. "Well? Are you going to move or am I going to have to chase you away?"

"My, Naruto, you're certainly cheeky today. You haven't even addressed Gaara or me appropriately once," Neji noted in amusement.

"And you seem to have developed an ability for stating the obvious, Neji-sama," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"How so?"

"It's obvious that Gaara-sama is thinking about me, for one. I mean, he hasn't been able to sexually harass me for two days. Not to mention he still has five months and twenty-eight days to go. And it's also obvious that I'm being cheeky. You're in my way. I get annoyed when people obstruct my ability to complete my tasks. And currently you two members of the Court are making it hard for me to finish cleaning Gaara-sama's room." Naruto snapped in reply, cleaning around the two since it seemed they weren't going to move anytime soon.

"Wait, wait, wait. What's this about sexual harassment? And what's about five months and twenty-eight days to go?" Neji raised an eyebrow, his interest suddenly piqued.

"In order for Naruto to let me sleep with him, I have to remain celibate for at least six months minimum. After that, he said he'd be my lover," Gaara explained, slightly exasperated. He had hoped to keep this deal a secret.

"Oh-ho! And you actually agreed to this, did you, Excellency?" Neji asked, more amused than ever now. He turned to look at Naruto who was still busy cleaning. The boy had rolled up his pant legs and the sleeves of his shirt. It was most certainly a pleasant sight.

"I don't have much of a choice, really…" Gaara sighed in reply.

"What don't you have a choice about, Highness?" Another voice came from behind. Gaara twitched. If there was one person he never wanted to find out about the deal, it was that person. Sasuke would take full advantage of it and scoop up Naruto for himself. Neji was probably going to as well, but Sasuke was more worrisome to him at current.

"Ah! You! Get off my freshly cleaned floor!" Naruto suddenly yelled at Sasuke. "I just washed in here and now you've gone and made it dirty again!"

"Eh? But I came here just to see you, Naruto. Now you've hurt my feelings," Sasuke said in a smooth voice. This time Gaara didn't have time to twitch in annoyance, as all of a sudden a pillow came flying at Sasuke's face. Though the teen did manage to catch it in the nick of time.

"You three! Gaara-sama! Neji-sama! Sasuke-sama! If you're not going to be useful and stay out of the way of my cleaning, then get out! I won't abide by this 'holier than thou' attitude you three have! No wonder none of have permanent lovers. God, I can barely stand it, myself," Naruto growled in an exasperated manner. He put his hands on his hips and glared at the three teens.

"Naruto, you're somewhat scary when you're cleaning," Neji commented offhandedly. He couldn't help smiling though. The blond was really just too cute for words at times. Even if he should be whipped for everything he was saying.

"And should we say the only reason we don't have lovers is because we're not interested at the moment?" Sasuke asked, slightly insulted at Naruto's comment.

"I'd say you're entitled to say many things, Sasuke-sama," Naruto replied in a calm manner. Neji burst out laughing and Gaara just raised an eyebrow at the Hyuuga. Naruto smiled in an amused way before sighing and sitting down with the rest of them. He leaned back on one hand and fanned himself with the other. "Ahh, why does it have to be so hot? I hate the summer months…"

"Why not wear something cooler, then?" Sasuke suggested in a light manner.

"I can't."

"Why not?" Neji cocked his head to the side, confused.

"'Cause that one hates it when I show skin to anyone but him," Naruto replied, pointing at Gaara. "I tried yesterday and he threw a tantrum like you wouldn't believe. I was pretty sure that it was a three-year-old and not Gaara-sama who I was arguing with. It got so bad that he actually threatened me with his sword."

"Gaara! How could you do that to Naruto? He's still injured and can't even fight back," Neji yelled at Gaara. The red head covered his ears to block out the sound.

"You're annoying, Neji. If I have to put up with that stupid deal, then I think keeping Naruto's skin to myself is a fair trade," Gaara growled.

"A 'stupid deal', is it?" Naruto looked over at Gaara, a hurt expression on his face. Gaara twitched when he realized exactly what he'd said. "I see how it is, Gaara-sama. So then I must be just some cheap trophy to hang on your wall. Excuse me, please."

Naruto stood and quickly fled from the room. Gaara opened his mouth to say something but couldn't seem to find words quickly enough to stop Naruto from leaving to room.

"Damn. I hadn't really thought that through…"Gaara sighed, hanging his head again. He really managed to mess things up this time.

"Why is that deal so important to Naruto, Gaara-sama?" Neji asked softly. Now this was a delicate situation.

"What deal is that that you guys are talking about?" Sasuke asked in a demanding voice.

"Naruto made Gaara promise to remain sex free for at least six months. After that, Naruto will let Gaara have him, I guess," Neji replied shortly.

"You must be some kind of stupid, Gaara-sama. Honestly. Why did you agree to something like that?" Sasuke asked, both amused and annoyed by Gaara's stupidity.

"Because it was him that asked it of me," Gaara replied. "And because he said it was similar to the arrangement that his father made with his mother. Only instead of six months, it was a year. But his father forced his mother after only two months of celibacy. I want to be a better man than that. I am a better man than that."

"…That's sweet and all, but does Naruto really love you as well?" Neji asked as gently as he could.

"He said he'd be mine if I could prove myself. Does that account for nothing?"

"That just means he'll submit to bodily passion, though, doesn't it? And it's not like that's anything special…" Sasuke shrugged. Gaara shifted around to cover the fact that Sasuke had just hit that mark. However, neither of the boys was that ignorant. "…You're kidding right?"

"Gaara, please tell me you're just trying to play around with us. He's not…"

"He is, okay! He's untouched! Innocent! Clean!" The red head yelled and threw his hands up in the air. "You two are so annoying."

"My, my…to think a boy that handsome is still a virgin. Such a sensual body and yet he's managed to keep it all to himself," Sasuke whistled, clearly considering this to be no big deal.

"You keep your damn mitts off him, Sasuke. I swear, if you touch him," Gaara growled.

"Then, why not include us in your deal with him? We'll refrain from having sex and each of us can compete for Naruto's affection. Then, you can't complain about the result, can you?" Neji suggested in an offhand manner.

"Neither of you really love him, though. You only think he's lovely and you're lusting after him," Gaara shot back. "You wouldn't be able to last six months."

"You love him, then, Gaara?" Neji asked, though he knew the answer. "You want to spend the rest of your life with only him? Is he to be your wife, then?"

"I would wish that, if I could. But I can't since I am to be the next Emperor. I would love Naruto wholly and him alone, but I cannot. I must remember my responsibilities to my nation," the red head sighed in a defeated manner.

"That's the most responsible thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth," Neji look at the prince in surprise.

"Actually, I didn't say it. Naruto told me so. He seemed to want to use it as a reason why we couldn't be together as lovers," he commented back.

"Why would Naruto say something like that?" Sasuke asked.

"Dunno. Maybe he's just very insightful about such things. Though it makes me sad to think about it."

"Then let's have our little side deal. Assuming Sasuke can actually force himself to abstain from sex for six months, why not let us compete for Naruto's affection? That way he finds someone to love honestly and always, be it you, Sasuke or me. And that way, you have something to do to make this assumed love of yours cultivate. Am I wrong?" Neji grinned, knowing that Gaara had no reason to refuse.

"Fine. If that's what you really want to do with six months of your time."

"I feel insulted by your comment about my sex life, Neji," Sasuke growled. "Even I can go without sex."

"Can you? Then this should be no problem, right?" Neji said, more than asked in a lofty voice. When Sasuke realized his mistake, he mentally slapped himself. He just had to go and say something stupid like that, didn't he? However, when he thought about it, it could be a good deal; especially if he did manage to win over the blond attendant.

"Fine then. I agree to join in this little deal as well," the black haired noble sighed as if it were a bother.

"Good then, we're all in agreement," Neji clapped his hands together and stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me as well."

"And where are you going?" Gaara demanded suddenly. He looked up at Neji, clearly suspicious.

"Well, I was planning on looking for Naruto and comforting him, since you managed to screw things up so good just a little bit ago. It's not like you can force me to stay here, Gaara-sama. After all, our deal is now in effect, so I'm allowed to woo Naruto now."

"Of course," Gaara sighed. "Although, it seems odd for us to try to 'woo', as you so delicately put it, an attendant…It would almost be better to return his to his previous post…"

"His previous post?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"He was a concubine before his was my attendant. Then, to keep him close to me at all times, I made him my attendant."

"So, you're going to make him a concubine again? Why not make him a courtesan? At least then he can freely walk around the palace. One can't do that as a concubine. As a courtesan, he can associate with us more openly, not to mention he'll have much cuter clothes to wear," Sasuke suggested. "A concubine is confined to the harem. A courtesan is much more like a consort and can freely move about the palace."

"I suppose that makes sense…I guess," the young prince sighed, thinking it over. It did make sense. If Naruto stayed as his attendant, it would be odd…not that he really wanted to have to compete for Naruto's affection. But he wanted to, for once in his life, be fair. Naruto seemed to dislike it when Gaara used his rank to his advantage. "Then, I guess that's what I'll do."

Meanwhile, Naruto had been wandering around the palace grounds. He didn't have much else to do since he'd run away from the room. He continued walking a few more paces before sighing and stopping. The blond sighed again heavily and leaned against one of the pillars, slid down to the floor and curled his legs to the side. His injury pulsed, making him flinch a bit, but otherwise the male ignored it. It wasn't like it really hurt that bad. It was just pulsing, which was easy enough to ignore.

Naruto leaned his head against the pillar and closed his eyes. He didn't want to deal with Gaara…or Neji or Sasuke for that matter. They all leered at him; like he was something they could just lust after. Although, it wasn't so much the lusting that bothered him, as it was the desire to want him without loving him. He wasn't that sort of person.

"What's this now? An attendant, all alone?" A rather rich voice sounded from in from of Naruto. The blond opened his eyes and looked up to see who had spoken to him. A tall, somewhat young looking man stood in front of him. He had long black hair and red eyes. Naruto didn't move from where he was, but did bow his head down respectfully to the man.

"I am, sir. My master has given me some time to myself," Naruto replied softly. He didn't want to talk to people right now, but it seems he had no choice now. "Might I inquire as to what, sir is doing all alone?"

"Ah, you've caught me there," the man laughed softly. "I'm looking for my brother."

"He's with Prince Gaara at the moment," Naruto said quickly in response to the nonexistent question.

"H-how do you know? I haven't even said my name."

"You look enough alike for me to guess who your brother is," the blond explained. "I trust that you know where His Highnesses room is, sir."

"I do…But I would like some company while I walk there. If you don't mind, that is," the man smiled slightly at Naruto.

"I don't suppose there was a question in that statement, was there," Naruto sighed, pushing himself up off the floor. His leg pulsed in protest, making the blond stumble slightly before becoming fully upright. "Well then, shall we, sir?"

"Indeed. And please, call me Itachi, dear attendant."

"Alright then, Itachi-sama. Back to the prince's room I go," Naruto said while walking back in the direction he'd come from. He heard Itachi following him, or rather, he was walking beside him. This really wasn't what he wanted to do right now. He didn't want to see those three. Especially not Gaara.

"So then, dear attendant, what is your name?"

"My name is Naruto, Itachi-sama."

"Oh? That's a rather unique name."

"I suppose."

"I met someone named Naruto once before, you know," Itachi suddenly said. Naruto stopped walking and turned to look at the older man.

"Did you now?"

"I did. It was a long time ago when I was still a teenager. The boy also had blond hair and blue eyes. However, he would be dead now. He was from the neighboring kingdom, and a member of the palace family. So, he would have been executed when the kingdom was invaded. However, before that happened, I went to that kingdom for a summer visit and met him. He was a very sunny boy, as I recall," Itachi continued to speak. Naruto began to mentally freak out. He could faintly remember the moment Itachi was talking about. This was bad.

"Is…Is that so, Itachi-sama," Naruto commented as lightly and in unruffled a manner as possible. There was no getting away now. Itachi knew who he was. Most definitely.

"You seem so nervous, Naruto. Is something the matter?" Itachi asked innocently. However, he moved closer to the other male and placed a hand on his shoulder. The older male smirked and said, "Has my story, perhaps, hit home? It is so good to see you again, Naruto."

"Are you going to turn me in to the Emperor?" Naruto asked calmly, looking at Itachi with unafraid eyes.

"No. Not at all. However, I would like to see the seal again. Would that not be fair?" Itachi still had his hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it a little. "You showed it to me when you were a boy. Let me see it again."

"Why the interest in seeing that? It's not like it's very important," Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe not for you, but I found it to be quite interesting; the insignia of the royal family. Why do they mark the royal family this way?"

"It's just a tradition, Itachi-sama. It's also so that someone cannot just suddenly claim to be an illegitimate child. Even children of mistresses are marked for this purpose."

"Please, you needn't call me, Itachi-sama, when your rank is higher than mine, Naruto."

"I am no longer a prince. My kingdom was destroyed."

"That changes not the blood that flows in your body. You are still of a royal line, and therefore above me in rank."

"Naruto! What's going on?" Naruto flinched. He knew this voice. Of all people, it had to be Gaara. The blonde looked over to see the red head as well as Sasuke and Neji. Sasuke looked positively murderous. Itachi didn't let go of the blond, and instead pulled him closer to his body. The murderous look in Sasuke's eye only seemed to intensify. Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked up at Itachi.

"There's nothing going on, Your Highness. I was simply having a conversation with your lovely attendant. He was all alone in the hallway and could use some company, I thought. Was it wrong of me to do so, Gaara-san?" Itachi grinned innocently at the young emperor-to-be. Oh, this person was good.

"I could care less, give my attendant back to me," Gaara growled. He held out his hand for Naruto to take. Naruto looked at the hand and then up at Gaara. The hand on his shoulder squeezed a little and let go. The blond looked up at Itachi before taking the extended hand and allowing himself to be pulled to Gaara's side. The red head wrapped one arm around Naruto's waist, making the blond turn faintly pink.

"G-Gaara-sama, could you please not…" Naruto mumbled softly, though he didn't push away. Rather, he couldn't bring himself to push away.

"Ah, I see how it is then, Naruto." Itachi's eyes bore into Naruto's skull, making him fidget. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to collect on my favor later then."

"Itachi-sama, didn't you say you were looking for your brother?" Naruto called out to the male.

"I lied," was all Naruto got for a reply. "And I said before didn't I, you don't have to call me, 'Itachi-sama.'"

Itachi turned and left. The arm around Naruto's waist relaxed, allowing the blond to step away.

"Stay away from that man. He's dangerous," Gaara suddenly said. "And what is this about a favor you owe him?"

"Itachi-sama asked me to do something for him. A favor for an **old friend**," Naruto replied, emphasizing the last two words as much as he possibly could. He desperately hoped Gaara would understand his meaning.

"Old friend?" Gaara looked confused for a moment before he realized just what Naruto was talking about. Itachi knew who Naruto was. He knew and he was using it to his advantage in some way.

"Naruto, you know Sasuke's brother?" Neji asked softly, stepping away from Sasuke and closer to Naruto.

"We met once, when I was a child. It seems Itachi-sama has a good memory," Naruto replied with a shrug. "That's all. He seems to be fond of me, as a friend."

"That man doesn't have friends," Sasuke growled.

"Sasuke-sama hates his brother?" Naruto turned to look at Neji inquisitively.

"They aren't on the best of terms with each other, no. Why, I have no idea. However, they aren't," Neji explained. It didn't make much sense to Naruto, but he had a deal to fulfill with Itachi and he would do that. All the man wanted was to see his tattoo, after all. There was nothing wrong with that.

"And, what's this favor he asked of you?" Gaara asked suddenly. Naruto turned to look at Gaara. He didn't want to tell him. He really didn't. It would cause Gaara to go insane.

"He just wants to talk to me about something. He wanted it to be private, though."

"I see…" Gaara frowned. Naruto was lying and he knew it. It was damn annoying, too. The red head wanted to force the blond to tell the truth but knew it would be in vain. Naruto would never talk about what he didn't want to talk about. "Well, Naruto. I've decided that you are not to be my attendant anymore."

"Then...what am I to be?" Naruto looked at Gaara with a concerned face.

"I am making you a courtesan."

"So, I'm to be a concubine again…"

"No, courtesans are allowed to move freely about the palace. Concubines are confined to the harem, while courtesans are more like royal consorts."

"So, you want me to be your wife, in name only…because you can't find any other way to be closer to me."

"It you want to think of it that way," Gaara sighed in a manner of defeat. "You'll be given your own rooms and assigned your own attendant…As you will be my 'wife', if in name only…"

Naruto nodded silently. So, he was to be a whore again then. This was just perfect…He didn't really want to be a prostitute again. Although it's not as though he had a choice. Gaara took the boy's hand in his and led him down the hall. He took him past his room, to a part of the palace Naruto had never been to before. He heard footsteps behind him but didn't look to see who it was; he didn't have to. He knew that it would be Sasuke and Neji that followed behind them. All of a sudden, Gaara stopped in front of another set of doors. They were now quite as elaborate as the ones that opened to his room, but they were still fairly elaborate. Gaara pushed open the doors and led Naruto inside.

"This will be your new room," Gaara said gruffly. Well, it certainly was grand. Naruto walked in and looked around. Yes, most definitely grand. It was like the harem room, only just for him. And the bed! Oh, the bed! Naruto was certainly delighted, however, when he saw the bed. It was big and bound to be comfortable. He normally wasn't the type to go overboard with luxury, but this time he could get over it. He wanted to live in this luxury, just this once.

Naruto turned to look at the other three males only briefly before speaking, "If you three wouldn't mind waiting outside for a moment…I want to change my clothes into something more fitting to my post."

"Indeed," Gaara nodded. He turned to Neji and Sasuke, giving each a look that told them to get out with him. They complied with little argument. When they were gone and the doors were shut, Naruto pulled off his attendant's shirt and dropped it to the floor. He looked down at his body and saw that his seal was still as present as ever.

"I know you're there, Itachi. Come out," Naruto called to the assumedly empty room.

"You're very perceptive, Naruto. I didn't think you'd be able to sense me here. You must have been trained very well." The elder man spoke softly as he moved out from his hiding place. He kept his eyes on the young blond's face.

"Not really. I'm just good at that sort of thing. That's all. I was never really trained," Naruto shrugged in reply to the comment. It was true after all, just like how he was good at sneaking up on people. It just happened to be a talent he had. "Now, take your gander at my seal and be done with it. Gaara-sama will go insane if he finds out you've seen me half naked."

"Will he, now?"

"Yes, he will."

"Well then, I better soak up the sight whilst I can then," Itachi grinned. Naruto shuddered and remembered Gaara's words from before. This was a dangerous man. "I'm only interested in the seal, Naruto. There's no need to freak out."

"You say that, but I don't believe you."

"Ah, a wise boy you are."

"I haven't survived this long by being stupid. Now, will you hurry up and look, so I can finish changing? Gaara-sama will come back in without warning, you know," Naruto spoke in an exasperated manner. He was getting tired of this game. Itachi stepped closer and closer to the blond until he was right in front of him. He extended a hand and rested it on top of the seal on Naruto's stomach. The boy shuddered at the coldness of those hands and the dark look in Itachi's eyes. It made him blush and avert his own eyes. The sudden feeling of lips being pressed to his stomach and a hand on his lower back made Naruto suddenly look down again to see Itachi kissing the seal on his stomach. This, of course, caused Naruto to turn bright red in embarrassment. He couldn't believe this! This was just too much. However, soon after, Itachi moved his lips away and stood once again in front of Naruto.

"Thank you, dear Naruto. I am now satisfied," Itachi said as he bowed his head slightly. Naruto wrapped his arms around his stomach, covering the seal and still blushing. Itachi laughed lightly. "Come now, I'll help you dress. It will be hard by yourself."

"You…You…" Naruto stumbled to find the right words in his head. "I can't even say it…Fine, help me dress."

Itachi helped the blonde dress quickly into garments that fit him better than the ones he'd been wearing. The man chose to use dark navy blue pants and a long robe-like white top. He also chose a long sash that matched the colour of Naruto's pants and wrapped it just under his breast, tying it in a bow (of sorts) in back. The sash had a tassel-like fringe at the ends and then from the end of each, a single golden stitched butterfly was depicted. And finally, black slippers to complete the outfit.

"There. Now you fit your role much better," Itachi said with a smile when he was finished and looking the boy over.

"Why is it always butterflies?"

"Because you are elegant and beautiful, just like a butterfly," Itachi replied. "Now then, I'd best be on my way. We don't want Gaara-sama to become jealous, now do we?"

"Oh, there is no need for that," a voice suddenly called from the door. Turning, Naruto saw Gaara standing there. "It seems that you are a bit more than just friends, then…Naruto?"

"Oh, not at all, Highness," Itachi began softly. "I simply wanted to get that business I had with Naruto over with as soon as possible. He made me a promise, you see, when we first met all those years ago. I simply asked that he fulfill it. I did, however, help him dress, Your Highness. Please pardon me of that. He couldn't do it himself."

"Indeed…Well then, you may take your leave, Itachi-san," Gaara commanded. There was no room for question in his voice. He was angry, jealous. Itachi bowed silently and left the room without saying another word. He did have a smile on his face again, though. As he left, Neji and Sasuke came back in.

"He only helped me tie the sash in the back, Gaara-sama. He didn't watch me as I changed, I swear. He only helped me pick out the outfit and then tied the sash for me," Naruto began to plead. He didn't want to chance anything. "Gaara-sama…"

"Calm down, Naruto. I understand," Gaara sighed. "I just…It annoys me that he was alone with you and I didn't know about it."

"You're being awfully understanding, Gaara-sama," Naruto raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Did something happen that I should know about? Or are you trying to make up for what you said earlier? I'm not mad anymore, you know."

"Yes, well, never mind all that," Gaara shrugged off Naruto's suspicion. He finally looked the blond up and down to see how the outfit suited him. "Itachi has a good eye for clothes, I'll give him that. He dressed you up very nicely. Wouldn't you two say so?"

"Indeed. You look adorable Naruto. It's a style that's hard to pull off if you don't have the right body type. But you do it very well," Neji chirped lightly. He smiled at the blond and walked over to him. The Hyuuga admired the sash with the butterfly on it. It was a good representation for the blond. He really was an adorable being. Waiting out six months and trying to win his love during that time might not actually turn out to be so bad.

**Wow…I imagine a great many of you have been waiting for this for a while. I'm sorry that the chapter is so chatty. I always have one of those chapters in my stories. I try and try not to, but I can't help it. Sometimes the story just needs a good long dialogue session. Sides, I did put in some good descriptions at the end. And even better, I have the next chapter going in my head already. So, please don't be mad at me, kay? I'll try to do a better job next chapter. There just wasn't a lot to describe. And now that it's summer, assuming all my summer work doesn't keep me too tied up, I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner than I got this one up. Much Love Always, Othello's Adonis.**


	4. Romance and Promises

**My Butterfly**

_Chapter Four: Romance and Promises _

It was fairly boring being a courtesan. The only thing Naruto really enjoyed was the freedom to walk where he wished and the comfy bed to sleep in at night. Those were about the only real perks he enjoyed from being a courtesan. Otherwise, he didn't have much else to do. Gaara solicited his company everyday for at least a few hours, as did Neji and Sasuke but they never did anything interesting. Neji preferred to talk with him, Sasuke often asked him to sit with him in the palace gardens and drink tea with him. To be honest, it was becoming very boring very fast.

"Ah, who knew that it was this boring being a courtesan," Naruto sighed as he walked down the steps into the palace gardens. It was early morning still and he had time before his three favorite nobles would badger him. He stepped lightly onto the grass and out into the gardens. The early morning air was something the blond always enjoyed. It was his habit now to wake up earlier than the rest of the palace and walk in the gardens when the morning dew was still settling. There was a cool dampness to the air that Naruto liked. It was a comfort for him, as he remembered when his mother would wake him up early just to walk with him in the gardens of his old home. It was a feeling of nostalgia that was both pleasant and bitter at the same time.

"My, my, who knew that you would be awake at such an hour, Naruto," a soft, familiar voice called from in front of him. He knew that voice.

"I like to have a few moments to myself in the early morning, Itachi-san. It brings back special memories for me," Naruto sighed in reply. He hadn't expected to meet someone this early in the morning. The sun hadn't even really risen yet.

"Is that so," Itachi hummed lightly. "And yet you seem so bored."

"The life of a courtesan doesn't suit me, Itachi-san. I haven't had such luxuries for a long time, not since I was a child. And even if I may move about the palace freely, there is nothing to do here. I'm not some child that wants to go exploring," Naruto sighed, stepping closer to the older man.

"You know, meeting like this, privately and so early in the morning; it could seem suspicious if certain people were to see us together. They might think we were lovers." Naruto felt his cheeks redden as he turned his face up to look the black haired man in the eyes. Itachi was grinning at him in a sly manner and Naruto's nervousness suddenly faded away. He let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"You wouldn't take me as your lover. You don't think I'm in the same class as you. You just enjoy teasing me," the blond replied.

"Now how do you know that?" Itachi watched Naruto carefully. Blue eyes watched red in a moment of great tension.

"No particular reason. It's just a feeling I have," he shrugged in reply. He shivered slightly at the morning chill and pulled the blanket he had already wrapped around his middle back, up around his shoulders. "I forgot how cold it could get in the morning, even in the summer…"

The sudden feeling of two arms wrapping themselves around his neck and shoulders made Naruto jump slightly. He hadn't heard Itachi move at all. There had been no sound, to his eternal fright.

"Don't be so nervous, Naruto. It's not like I'm going to hurt you. You said you were cold," Itachi explained softly from behind. The blond could feel the vibrations of the man speaking and it made him shudder.

"I'd say thank you, if I didn't know that you were just trying to get revenge for my earlier comment, Itachi-san," Naruto retorted softly. He didn't really care either way. The only thing he was worried about was Gaara coming out here to look for him. That could cause problems. Especially since, Itachi seemed to like seeing Gaara become hot under the collar.

"You are so cold, Naruto. No wonder my brother has taken such an interest in you." The man tightened his grip around Naruto slightly. "My brother hates me. And though I pretend not to care, it really does bother me. He is a beautiful boy, would you not agree, Naruto? I'm sure he'll become a good man, worthy of being at Gaara-sama's side…"

As the grip around him loosened, Naruto turned to look up once again at Itachi's face. There was a mix of guilt, anger and anguish in his eyes. It was a look the blond didn't think had ever been on Itachi's face before. He lifted a hand up to gently brush Itachi's cheek and let it fall to rest on his chest.

"Itachi-san…" Naruto started in a soft voice. He didn't really know what to say. He was worried about the suggestiveness of his position in Itachi's arms, as well as what Itachi was telling him. He wanted to believe it, but he was also afraid that the man might just be playing his kindness to his advantage. Naruto had a tender-streak that he couldn't help.

"Now we really do look like lovers," Itachi whispered gently in Naruto's ear. The blond blushed bright red and smacked the man. He's been embarrassed beyond all measure by this. No matter the person, Naruto was always open-minded to their personality and Itachi took advantage of that. He was just as perceptive and deceiving as any other politician or member or the court.

"Why are you so mean to me?"

"I'm not mean. I just enjoy teasing you. You make it so easy, so it's no wonder those three like you so much. It's part of your adorability, I suppose. You're right, Naruto. I'm not particularly interested in you romantically, but I do still like you. And it's fun to watch them squirm while I get so close to you," Itachi hummed into Naruto's ear.

"See, you are mean. You're torturing your brother by causing a misunderstanding about our relationship. Maybe that's why he doesn't like you," Naruto said coldly.

"Maybe, but it only bother's me so much. I don't have time to waste with him. I'm busy with fending off the jackals of the court."

"Ah, then your job must be difficult," Naruto hummed, obviously amused by Itachi's impression of the court. "So there are things even you consider tedious, then."

"There are, but those are none of your business," he laughed in reply. The sun had finally begun to paint the sky it's many colours as it rose. "Ah, the sun, she rises. Soon the rest of the palace will arise, too, just like the sun."

"I never knew you were a poet, Itachi."

"I'm not. It was simply a fleeting thought that I had. You should come to the courts sometime. It would be nice to see you there. And if none of your three prospects will bring you, then how about you accompany me some time? I do so enjoy your company, Naruto," Itachi suggested with a tone of arrogance.

"Do you never get tired of being so arrogant, Itachi?"

"Never, ever," he replied with a grin. "Now, give us a kiss and I'll let you go."

"…You!" Naruto turned bright red. Itachi laughed. "What do you need a kiss for?"

"Because I like to tease you. Now, how about my kiss?"

"…" Naruto remained silent for some time before he could bring himself to look at Itachi's face again. He took the hand that he'd left at his side and brought it up to lightly place it on Itachi's shoulder. He then brought his other hand up from Itachi's chest to place it on his other shoulder. Pushing up slightly to reach the man's face, Naruto leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. As he pulled back, he mumbled, clearly embarrassed, "There, I did what you asked. I kissed you."

"You consider that to be a kiss? You really are innocent, Naruto," Itachi grinned at him slyly, with those same dark eyes as before. Naruto couldn't bring himself to reply; those eyes frightened him. The black haired man grabbed the blond's left wrist with one hand and wrapped his other arm around the small of Naruto's back. The boy looked at him, afraid of what he knew was going to happen next. It was coming. And it did come. The grip on his wrist tightened slightly, the hand on his back pulled him closer and then he felt them. Itachi's lips pressed against his own. He was gentle, not demanding like Gaara was. He softly kissed him, not forcing anything. It was a feeling Naruto had never felt before in a kiss. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it had stopped. "That, my dear, is a kiss."

Naruto turned an even brighter shade of red. He turned his head down so he wouldn't have to look Itachi in the eyes. It was just too embarrassing. There was too much meaning in that kiss. The hand holding his wrist loosened and eventually let go. Then the hand on the small of his back slowly dropped down to take its proper place at Itachi's side. Naruto stepped back away from Itachi and looked up at the rising sun. Since he and Itachi hadn't been attacked yet, he assumed that no one had seen them. This was becoming a dangerous game. He wasn't in love with Itachi, yet he allowed the kisses. It was an awkward feeling, almost unwanted.

"Well then, Naruto, I shall take my leave. Please enjoy your walk through the gardens," Itachi dismissed himself softly, bowing his head lightly. Naruto bowed his head back. He turned at began stepping off before pausing momentarily. He turned to look at Naruto and called back, "Please think about my offer, sincerely. You would be nice company."

"I will, Itachi-san," Naruto called back. The black haired man smiled slightly and turned back to be on his way. Naruto sighed and turned to continue on with his walk. This was a moment he would never tell anyone. He only prayed that Itachi would keep the little moment to himself as well. He didn't want to think about the repercussions of Gaara finding out about it. He shuddered at the thought. There may not even be a palace left if he did. So distracted was Naruto by his thoughts, that he didn't even realize that he was about to walk straight into someone. And so he did, slamming straight into the person and falling down to the grass. "Oww…I'm sorry…I was lost in my thoughts and not paying attention to where I was going…"

"It's quite alright, Naruto-san," an older sounding voice said from above him. It wasn't a gruff voice, but it wasn't smooth, like Itachi's, either. A hand was extended out to him and Naruto took it without much thought. "There we are. Up you go. May I ask what Naruto-san is doing in the gardens this early in the morning?"

"Ah, well, I like to walk in the morning and have a few moments to myself. It's a bit of a habit, really," Naruto smiled shyly as he replied. When he finally got to look at the man, Naruto was rather surprised. Snow-white hair framed a gentle looking face. The man had a patch covering one eye, with a single scar showing slightly at the top and the bottom. "Ah, you must be Hatake Kakashi-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You know me?" The man had to good graces to look embarrassed. Naruto smiled at him.

"I do. You're considered to be one of the best general's of the empire. You're quite famous, Kakashi-sama," the blond replied with a smile. "Might I ask what you're doing out so early? Military business?"

"Ah-ha…Something like that. There is a war council meeting today…again. As I am a general, I'm required to be there, though I'd rather be elsewhere," he sighed in a manner of defeat. Naruto giggled, clearly amused by the man's lack of interest in his rank.

"I always thought that generals were more interested in their ranks."

"Ah, well, most probably are. I'm just a little different."

"I can see that. It's a pleasant change," Naruto said lightly, turning to look at the rising sun again. "The people of the palace…well, most of them all seem to be the same to me, but there are a few interesting people here."

"There are," Kakashi agreed lightly. Faintly, Naruto could hear yells and the sound of steps tromping down the hall he'd come from. That meant that Gaara, Sasuke and Neji were probably all looking for him at the same time. The blond sighed in a defeated manner. Wonderful. Kakashi laughed in a light and amused way. "It seems that you're being requested, Naruto-san."

"That's a kind way of putting it, Kakashi-sama," Naruto sighed, trying to smile. The sound of the yelling and the footsteps was getting closer. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Kakashi-sama."

"And to meet you, Naruto-san." Kakashi took one of Naruto's hands in his own. He raised it to meet his slightly bowed head and pressed his lips to it lightly. Naruto knew his cheeks had turned a faint pink colour. The man slowly let his head come back up and let got of the younger one's hand. "See you later then, Naruto-san."

As Kakashi walked off, Gaara, Neji and Sasuke came speed walking up to the blond. Naruto figured they'd have been running, but perhaps they'd slowed down when he came into view. He smiled at them lightly, turning so that he was facing them completely.

"G'morning, Gaara-sama, Neji-sama, Sasuke-sama," the boy said pleasantly. He smiled softly at them all. "Is something the matter? You're all moving so quickly…"

"You weren't in your room. These two just happened to follow me," Gaara growled in annoyance. He didn't like the fact that the Hyuuga and the Uchiha were here as well. "So, we went looking for you."

"That's very sweet, Gaara-sama, but then why would you be running? It's not like I would leave the palace, and you know that I prefer to wake up early. So, why were you running?"

"…Itachi," he quickly replied. Naruto could barely understand what he said, but he knew it was a name.

"P-Pardon?"

"My brother. We saw him walking down the hall, coming from the gardens. When he saw us, he looked rather smug…like he'd done something he knew would make us mad," Sasuke replied for Gaara. Naruto felt his cheeks turn just a bit rosy as he recalled the kiss Itachi had given him. It didn't escape the other three.

"Yeah, Itachi-san and I happened to bump into each other in the gardens earlier," Naruto replied lightly. He tried to forget what happened after that. "We talked for a bit and then Itachi-san went on his way. That's all. Then I had the pleasure of meeting General Kakashi-sama."

"All you did was talk?" Gaara raised an unbelieving eyebrow. Oh, dear.

"Yes, all we did was talk, Gaara-sama," the boy sighed in a somewhat exasperated manner. He closed his eyes to pause momentarily before opening them and looking at the three again. "So, am I to accompany all three of you today?"

"Ah…No, that is…" Well, that was rare. Gaara didn't know what to say.

"Let's forget that for now. Have any of you even eaten breakfast yet?" He asked with a sigh, pushing the previous topic aside for the moment. To be honest, he didn't really want to know which of the three he'd be accompanying for the day. At least, not right now. The sudden grumbling from all three of the boy's stomachs told him all he needed to know. He began to laugh as the others flushed red. "I see. So, your concern for me outweighs the need to eat, then?"

"We do worry about you. There are some people in the palace that are less savory that others, Naruto," Neji commented softly.

"I know. And I appreciate the concern. However, I can take care of myself, so you needn't be at my side at all times," Naruto nodded, acknowledging the comment of concern. He turned in the opposite direction and began walking away. When he didn't hear them following, he paused and turned back to look at them with an amused smile. "Well, are you coming with me or not?"

"Where are we going?" Neji asked, walking to catch up with Naruto. Gaara and Sasuke followed soon after.

"To get breakfast, Neji-sama. To get breakfast," Naruto replied and continued walk. However, when Neji had caught up to him, he reached out to hook arms with him. This surprised the Hyuuga, but not as much as it surprised Gaara and Sasuke. "Walk with me?"

"O-of course," he replied, still slightly taken off guard by the sudden action. He allowed the blond to hold onto his arm and lead them to where he wanted to go. What none of them expected was that Naruto was going to lead them to the palace kitchens. "Naruto, what are we doing here?"

"Getting breakfast, Neji-sama," Naruto replied. He let go of Neji's arm and moved into the kitchens. There weren't a great many servants that were moving about just yet. Breakfast was never a busy time since many people only ate fruit. The servants that were there smiled when Naruto came in and then returned back to work. Naruto took off the blanket he was wearing around his shoulders and set it on a wooden chair. Pulling up his sleeves, the blond tied them back with a thin piece of cloth. "I can't eat food unless I make it myself. Or, at least, help make it."

"Naruto-san is a very good cook," one of the female servants called as she worked. "He makes very good food."

"Eh-heh…thank you," Naruto flushed slightly. He moved about the kitchen as if he had been working in it his whole life. It was natural to him. The three watched in some form of awe. Although they should not have been that surprised. The boy had lived on his own until Gaara brought him into the palace. They watched as the servants and Naruto worked side by side, silently doing what they had to do. None of them had ever seen the servants work before. They never did anything that would cost them time. Each movement had purpose and accomplished something. The same was true for Naruto. When he moved, he didn't do anything that was without some sort of purpose. Just watching the boy was enticing. Naruto turned to look at Neji, Gaara and Sasuke and smiled at them softly.

It didn't take him long to finish his cooking. He set out the food on four different plates and made tea as well.

"Four plates? Naruto-san is sharing his home cooked food today?" The same female servant from before asked, looking over.

"Ah, well, it seems that Gaara-sama and his friends haven't eaten yet, so…" Naruto shrugged.

"Ah, how sweet!" Another servant sighed in an excited voice. "They must be so happy to get breakfast made especially by you."

"Yeah, those three all seem to have gone into quite a tizzy ever since you were brought into the palace, Naruto-san."

"Oi," Sasuke whispered as he nudged Gaara. "Don't they realize we're standing right here?"

"I guess not…" he shrugged back. He was, however, curious if Naruto chatted with all the servants this way.

"Oh, they have not. They're just having some fun because I'm not infatuated with their rank," Naruto sighed in reply. Gaara, Neji and Sasuke felt some form of shock run through them. What was Naruto saying? And he knew they were here, waiting for him to finish his cooking.

"What do you mean, Naruto-san?"

"Well, most women don't concern themselves with what they are actually like as people. They've fallen in love with the rank, not the person. So, they've had women fawning over them for a long time. But I could care less about rank or title. I'm more interested in the person under the shroud of the rank. But because I don't fawn or bow down like I should, I piqued their interest," Naruto sighed, untying the cloth that was holding up his sleeves. "It makes me a little sad, too. Had we met under different circumstances, we probably could have become close friends…and maybe more…who knows those sorts of things…"

"That's so depressing, Naruto-san!"

"Ah, well…It's just how I can be at times. I'm a very lonely person after all," Naruto gave the servants a sad smile. Gaara looked at Neji and Neji looked at Sasuke. Were they really that bad? "Are you three just going to stand there all morning, or are you going to help me carry this out?"

"Eh?" All the servants paused in their work to see who Naruto was talking to and realized that it was the topic of their previous discussion. Oh, dear. Naruto piled some fruits into a bowl and handed it to Sasuke. He forced Gaara and Neji to share the duty of carrying the plates with their food on it. The blond carried a teapot and four cups.

"See you girls around then," Naruto waved in an absent manner as he left the kitchen. His companions followed him back out to the garden. They ate in relative silence and when they were finished, two of the afternoon kitchen staff carried away the dishes. "I hope it was to your satisfaction."

"It was wonderful, Naruto," Neji smiled at him. Things had been awkward ever since Naruto had voiced what he believed were Gaara's, Sasuke's and Neji's motives for spending so much time with him.

"Well, if that's all for now, then I'll be on my way," Naruto said in a quiet voice as he pushed himself up off the ground. They watched the blond walk off without a word. Gaara was annoyed. No, he was more than annoyed. He wanted to touch the boy, but unless they were along together or Naruto touched him first, he couldn't. It was driving him mad.

"I suppose we must be on our way as well," Neji sighed, standing. Sasuke stood as well. "There is yet another war council meeting that we are all required to attend."

"Yes, yes…I'm coming," Gaara growled, stood and headed to the council chambers.

_(scene/ time lapse)_

Really, this was just his luck. His brother always had to cause trouble for him, didn't he? It was just plain annoying. Sasuke sighed in agitation. He kicked a stone pillar to vent his frustration. His brother had decided that he would attend the war council meeting in his place…without telling him. So, when he stepped into the room and saw his brother sitting in his seat, he turned a fine shade of embarrassment. He had left without saying anything, but now he was bored out of his mind. He didn't even know where Naruto was.

"Sasuke-sama? I thought you had a war council meeting today?" A sudden voice spoke to him. It was familiar, too. No, it couldn't be. Looking up, who should be there, but the person he'd just been thinking about. "Is something the matter? You seem troubled, Sasuke-sama."

"Ah, it's nothing. My brother just decided to take my place in the meeting without telling me. That's all," Sasuke said through gritted teeth.

"Well, Itachi-san can be like that, Sasuke-sama. He prefers the freedom of living according to his own rules and principles. It makes him happier," Naruto replied, trying not to sound too awkward. He didn't know Itachi that well, but he could understand some things just by watching the things he did. "He's also a very detached man. Things that normal people enjoy, he finds those types of things boring. He has to force people into odd situations to enjoy himself."

"You understand my brother so well," Sasuke said flatly.

"Not at all. I merely observe such facts," Naruto replied with a smile. Sasuke felt his cheeks twinge light pink.

"Naruto, since I have nothing to do, will you please keep me company?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"I'd be happy to, Sasuke-sama." Sasuke extended his arm to Naruto and the blond took it without any sign of hesitation. They began walking at an easy pace down the hall to nowhere in particular.

"You seem to be getting used to life in the palace," he commented lightly.

"I am. It's still a little awkward here and there, but I don't mind for the most part," Naruto replied, nodding. "However, your brother asked me to join him in the royal courts if you three don't invite me some time. I found it to be a rather odd comment…"

"Itachi…" Sasuke gritted his teeth and began clenching his fists tightly. His fingernails were digging into his skin and making him bleed.

"Ah! Sasuke-sama! What are you doing?" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing the Uchiha's hands and holding them open in front of him. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was doing it," he lied in a small voice.

"Liar," Naruto sighed in exasperation. "C'mon. We need to take care your hands."

"I'm fine Naruto," Sasuke pressed on.

"Look here you, I'm offering to let you be alone with me inside my room and you're turning me down nonstop," Naruto snapped at the black haired male, very annoyed now. "Now, will you just be quiet and come with me?"

"Ah…uhm…That is…." Sasuke couldn't think of a reasonable response. Why shouldn't he want to be alone with Naruto? He was trying to win the boy's love from Neji and Gaara, after all. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that what Naruto had said was true. He wanted to boy because he only gave respect where respect was due. Never more, never less.

"At last, the rumored playboy of the empire is at a loss for words," Naruto said, amused at Sasuke's stumbling. He giggled when Sasuke gave him a dirty look. The blond led the way back to his room and forced Sasuke to sit on his bed. He could care less about the implications of such an action. He pulled out a washbowl and filled it with water, then grabbed a cloth to wash the mini wounds.

"Give me your hands," Naruto commanded. Sasuke did as he was told and held out his hands. The blond dipped the cloth into the water and dabbed it over the little wounds. Sasuke hissed at the stinging sensation. "Don't be such a baby, Sasuke-sama."

"Thanks for the cheering up," Sasuke said sarcastically. The blond ignored the comment and continued until both hand were clean. He then bandaged both hands tenderly and when he was done, he did a strange thing. He kissed each hand softly before getting up to put away the things he'd used. However, he didn't get very far, as Sasuke suddenly caught his wrist to stop him, holding him in place.

"Sasuke-sama?" Naruto looked at Sasuke with a tender but questioning expression. Sasuke tugged on Naruto's wrist and brought the blond crashing down onto the bed next to Sasuke. This was not good. "S-Sasuke-sama?"

"Don't leave me just yet, Naruto," Sasuke whispered into the blond's ear as he lay down next to him. Naruto blushed but still nodded in acknowledgement of Sasuke's desire. His captured wrist was released and the hand moved to rest on his hip now. Sasuke used that hand to pull Naruto closer to him; he didn't resist. "You're being very obedient."

"I don't mind stuff like this…" Naruto explained. Sasuke chuckled slightly. "You're laughing at me…"

"No, I'm not…"

"Yes, you are."

"I can't help it. You act so adorable…" Sasuke laughed again. He looked down at Naruto, who was blushing still. He smirked slightly and changed their position so that Naruto was lying on his back and Sasuke still beside him. He then leaned over and kissed the blond meaningfully on the lips. There was no protest or reciprocation to the kiss. When Sasuke pulled back and looked at Naruto, he saw embarrassment. "You are a courtesan, Naruto. Courtesans do these sorts of things…"

"It's not that, Sasuke-sama…Well, actually, that's a lie. That is an issue for me. You ask me to surrender to passion and allow pleasure with no meaning. But that sort of thing…it's impossible for me; such casual intimacy. When I give someone my most intimate embrace, I would hope they are giving me and only me their most intimate embrace back," Naruto explained with a sigh as he pushed himself up on the bed. He didn't get up and leave though. Instead, he undid the sash that was around his waist and took off his shoes. What he did next, took Sasuke rather by surprise though. He took off the pants he was wearing. Since he was wearing another of the longer robe-like tops, it wasn't like he was exposing himself completely, but the top only went until just above the blond's knees. Then and only then, did Naruto get back onto the bed.

"Naruto?" Sasuke looked at the blond with questioning eyes.

"This is what you desire, is it not, Sasuke-sama?"

"Well…it is," he admitted, hesitant but unashamed. He pushed his own body up and looked at the newly exposed skin. It was beautiful, like looking at a doll. And the boy was untouched intimately as well. Sasuke gently brushed one of his hands over the exposed thighs, and could feel Naruto shudder. He peered up at the boy's face and saw that it had been stained bright red. Sasuke grinned and leaned over to kiss Naruto's inner thighs this time; one kiss per thigh. The reactions were most amusing. Naruto made a small sound that seemed to be a mix of pleasure and shame for enjoying such a thing. The Uchiha pushed himself up even farther, removing his own shoes, so he could scoot up to match Naruto on the bed. He continued to brush his fingertips along Naruto's thighs. "You seem so sensual for someone that only wants to share this sort of thing with the one you love."

"I understand my position in the palace, Sasuke-sama. I am what I am. I can accept such a thing. However, you are sorely mistaken if you think just because you're touching me means you can have me," Naruto retorted to Sasuke's jab. Sasuke paused in what he was doing and began to laugh.

"No, I suppose not. You are you, after all," he managed to say through his laughing. Naruto took the pause as an opportunity to change his position and tuck his legs under him. Sasuke noted this, but didn't much care. He'd had plenty of fun with the boy already. He was sure Gaara would rip his balls off if he got the chance, but he was fairly sure he'd manage. Leaning closer to Naruto's face, Sasuke whispered, "Kiss me, Naruto. Kiss me, like you would mean it."

"Ah…Alright…" Naruto mumbled the reply, clearly embarrassed. He turned to look at Sasuke, his eyes full expression. He slowly leaned towards the other male and pressed his lips against the black haired boy's. Sasuke was actually surprised by how much passion was in that kiss. It almost felt as though there were need. He pressed his own lips against Naruto's just a meaningfully before beckoning the blond to open his mouth. Naruto did so and Sasuke slipped his tongue in, exploring as much as he could. All too soon, it seemed to Sasuke, the kiss ended and their lips parted from each other. When Sasuke looked at Naruto, he saw faintly flushed cheeks and lidded eyes. Ah, success.

"Well then, I think I'd like to rest for a while, Naruto," Sasuke said in an offhand manner, though Naruto knew what he meant.

"You can use my legs as a pillow if you want, Sasuke-sama."

"Thank you…" Sasuke said as he laid his head down on Naruto's legs.

"You know that Gaara-sama will probably try to kill you if he sees us like this," Naruto commented lightly as he began to comb Sasuke's hair with his hands. "Considering I don't have my pants on and all…"

"Let me deal with that when it happens, Naruto…" Sasuke sighed. "Right now I want to rest."

_(time/ scene lapse)_

"I hate my father…Why? Why does he have to be such an idiot?" Gaara grumbled as he walked down the hall to Naruto's room with Neji at his side. He also had yet another person with him; someone whom had expressed an interest in meeting Naruto.

"Highness, your father, the Emperor, isn't an idiot. He's just a very driven man," Neji said, trying to make what Gaara meant sound more appropriate.

"Neji…He wants to go to war for no reason…again! I could care less about fighting. Fighting is the fun part. I enjoy fighting. But I'd rather do it against someone I actually have a quarrel against than attack someone for no reason." Gaara looked at Neji like he was an idiot. Neji shook his head and laughed.

"And what about you, sir? What do you think of fighting?"

"It's troublesome." This was all Neji got for a reply. Quite the talker, this one.

"So, why are you so interested in Naruto?"

"His description sounds like someone I know…or knew, a long time ago."

"We're here," Gaara interrupted the conversation gruffly as he pushed the doors open. "Naruto? Are you he-"

"What's the matter?" Neji asked Gaara when he stopped his sentence midway. Looking into the room, Neji saw Gaara's reason for going into shock. Naruto was on his bed, pants nowhere to be found, and Sasuke's head was lying in his lap. Not to mention, Naruto seemed to be stroking Sasuke's hair. "Oh, my…"

"UCHIHA!!" Gaara suddenly roared. His whole face was bright red. Oh, yes, Sasuke was in for it.

"Huh?" Sasuke sat up, bleary eyed from his nap. "What's going on? Naruto?"

"That…" Naruto pointed and Sasuke followed his finger to see an enraged Gaara. "I think he's about to draw his sword. You might consider running now…"

"I could, but I'm still tired and I'd never make it very far," Sasuke shrugged in reply. "It's your fault anyways. Why don't you calm him down?"

"You should probably leave first."

"Indeed," Sasuke conceded. He slid himself off the bed and grabbed his shoes before heading for the door. He just couldn't help one last parting remark though. "He's delicious…"

"GET OUT!!" Gaara screamed, not looking at the man. His eyes were fixed on Naruto. He managed to calm himself down somewhat, but it wasn't enough to restrain himself. "Neji, would you show the new guest around for a while, please. I have some things to discuss with, Naruto."

"You're not going to kill him right?"

"Don't be stupid."

"All I care about is that you don't kill him. I'll give you an hour."

"Good." With that, Neji left and shut the doors behind him. Gaara and Naruto were alone.

"Naruto…." Gaara growled, clearly ready to kill something.

"I am a courtesan, Gaara-sama," Naruto said rather simply. "I am here to please the desires of men of the palace. Sasuke-sama is a member of the court and lives at the palace from time to time, does he not? Then, I am bound to my duty to serve him. It was nothing more than duty, Gaara-sama…Or can't you accept that? You're the one who made me a courtesan."

"You, made me promise to be loyal to you for six months and now you're allowing other men to touch you. It's like you're asking me to lose control of myself," Gaara hissed at Naruto. The blond sighed and slid himself off the bed. He stepped lightly across the stone floor, stopping only when he was in front of Gaara. He reached out and took one of Gaara's hands in his own.

"I…will never let a man have me, that I can promise you, Gaara-sama. I am not that cruel of a person. However, it would be suspicious if I did not let members of the court at least touch me some, as I must touch them. I am a high-class prostitute, no matter how much you may want to argue the point, Gaara-sama." Naruto gave a heavy sigh. There was no better way to explain it than this. "I promised you, Gaara-sama, that if you could remain true to me only, then I will be yours. I will not break that promise. In six months, if your fidelity holds out, my virginity…my heart, will be yours. So, please be understanding. I am in a position now, where I am to quell the desire in people or at least be a companion to them. I will not break my promise, Gaara-sama, so don't be so angry when I do what I must."

"Do what you must, eh?" Gaara watched Naruto closely. The blond looked like he was stuck between accepting his fate and wanting to run away at that very moment. Gaara couldn't really say he blamed him. The boy had a heavy burden to carry and he was a very prideful creature. And yet now he was being forced into submission. "Indeed, do what you must…"

The red head pulled Naruto to rest against his body. He didn't let go of the blond's hand and instead laced his fingers with Naruto's. Naruto rested his head against Gaara's chest and brought his unoccupied hand up to rest on Gaara's upper arm. That arm wrapped itself around Naruto's lower back, keeping close to Gaara. The two stayed like this for some time before Gaara pulled away just a little. He bowed his head down and kissed Naruto quite soundly. His lips were just as demanding as they had always been, and this time Naruto obliged. He opened his mouth to allow Gaara what he wanted and the young prince took it, sliding his tongue in and explored. When the kiss ended, Naruto was blushing and trying to take in a little more air than usual.

"I'll take that as your bond to your promise," Gaara said softly. He kissed the blond once more, though it was more of a peck on the cheek before letting go and turning to open the door. "Neji, you can come back in now. I know you never left."

"You're a clever one," Neji said sarcastically as he opened the door. "I was still somewhat afraid you were going to hurt Naruto. I'm sorry for my concern."

"Oh, shut up and bring that visitor in here," Gaara snapped at him. Neji said nothing and disappeared for a moment before coming back with the man. When he stepped into the room, Naruto let out a surprised squeak. "Naruto?"

"Sh-Shikamaru? What? How? Why?" Naruto began all at once, walking over to the person in question.

"I'd love to answer your questions, but first- and this is just a suggestion- maybe you ought to put some pants on," Shikamaru suggested in a bored tone. The blond realized he still was half naked and turned bright red.

"I dunno, I'm kinda liking this look," Neji commented off to the side, grinning. Naruto turned even redder and quickly put his pants back on.

"So, now will you tell me what you're doing here?" Naruto asked, managing to get his blush under control.

"Perhaps this would be a conversation best kept for private," Shikamaru said, quickly glancing at Gaara and Neji.

"Ah…yes…perhaps," Naruto agreed with a nod. He shooed Neji and Gaara out so he could talk to the other male privately. When he had them out, he turned to Shikamaru. "Now, start explaining, please."

"It's simple. I wasn't in the country when it was attacked," he shrugged, explaining his presence easily. "The country I was in adopted me and gave me asylum. So, here I am, your Highness."

"Stop it. I'm not a prince anymore," Naruto demanded, turning away.

"You are all that remains of that line, you are technically now the Emperor of that country," Shikamaru continued on calmly. "Not everyone died, Naruto. Kiba, Choji, Lee and myself all survived. And those are only the people I've been able to track down."

"So what are you asking me to do?"

"As troublesome as it is, since you are alive, it is your duty to revive the nation your father built. And yet, now you are a courtesan for the very nation that destroyed ours."

"I loved my country, but I was not wanted. I was not a legitimate child."

"You're so troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed heavily, getting annoyed. Naruto was being a baby about this.

"I'm sorry for being such a bother," Naruto half-shouted at Shikamaru before running out onto his small balcony.

"For the love of…" Shikamaru sighed again and followed after the boy, walking at a leisurely pace. "Does this mean that you are happy being a courtesan? Look at how far you've fallen from your position. It's disgraceful."

"I'm not happy with this life, Shikamaru. How could I be? I just…I don't want to reunite and then have tragedy befall us again. My father's dream was a great one. And he was so close to making it come true. I'm afraid, Shikamaru. I'm afraid of what might happen should I try to rebuild the nation my father dreamed of," Naruto spoke softly, explaining his reasons for being so afraid. Shikamaru could understand that, too.

"Just…consider it, Naruto," Shikamaru sighed in some form of defeat.

"I will….I promise," Naruto replied, nodding his head. He heard Shikamaru leave and let himself fall to the ground. People from his old life were alive. They were alive and safe. It made him so happy that he wanted to cry and he did. However, it wasn't just because of that. Shikamaru had suddenly added a new weight to his shoulders. He would now have to consider becoming the ruler of an empire.

**So, uhm…I got really inspired and wrote a lot, for one. And I'm updating really quickly. I hope that makes some people happy. Don't get your hopes up for the next one though. I have a shitload of summer work to do. I can't afford to do this for you guys all the time. So, savor what you can in the chapter. There's no telling when I'll update again. Much Love to you all.**


	5. Desperate

My Butterfly: Chapter Five

**My Butterfly: Chapter Five: Desperate to Love, Desperate to Cry**

**Othello's Note: Okay, hate me all you want, but I've been really freakin' busy. School takes a lot out of me, and the first two months after posting chapter four I was just taking a resting period. So, be angry with me all you want, but it won't do you any damn good. I'm really, really busy. That said, I love you all and I will do the best I can to make you happy with the newest chapter.**

"Why is he spending so much time with him? Doesn't it annoy you two that he's spending so much time with someone we know almost nothing about?" Sasuke grumbled while watching Naruto talk pleasantly with the foreign ambassador who happened to be one of his childhood friends. Naruto laughed and smiled brightly and Shikamaru's mouth twitched upwards into what could possibly be called a smile. It was hard to tell with Shikamaru's face.

"Get over it, Sasuke. He knew Naruto at what you could call a crucial time in his life," Neji swaggered over to stand next to Sasuke and watch the blond as well. Naruto has become increasingly radiant during the past few weeks. He seemed to almost glow even more than he did when he first came to the palace. It had been a surprise, to say the least. The transformation in the royal courtesan had also caused an increased number of people within the palace to take notice of him. Naruto seemed to ignore them for the most part, but on occasion he simply could not afford to do so.

"Hey, Gaara-sama, how have you been handling all the men that seem to be coming at your adorable little blond? I heard that you very nearly lost your temper one night," Sasuke called over to said red head, who was leaning against a marble pillar…fuming. No, it was more than fuming. He was about ready to mortally injure someone. He just needed to right motivation.

"And? Is it any of your business what I do, Uchiha? So I got a little jittery one night; big deal. It doesn't mean anything. Why don't you talk to that brother of yours and tell him to back off?" Gaara snapped back at the other teen. Sasuke scowled at him and Neji moved out of the way…you know, just in case.

"Ah, well look at that. It seems Naruto is available now. His friend is taking off. I'm just gonna go down there for a while, and you guys deal with your issues up here, kay?" Neji said quietly and quickly jumped down to spend time with Naruto. "Naruto! It's been so long since we've been able to be together."

"Neji-sama. I am sorry about that, but you know how it is right? When you have a friend you haven't seen in almost seven years, give or take. You just sort of forget about everything else. But is seems Shikamaru is going to be leaving soon. He has to go back to his kingdom to get some political matters in order," Naruto explained his extended interest in being with Shikamaru. In truth though, he had mixed feelings about Shikamaru going back to his home. Even though he had enjoyed the time he spent with Shikamaru, the teen would never let the subject of his responsibility to the kingdom drop. It caused a rift in Naruto. He remembered his old kingdom- even though he had been the child of a mistress- was beautiful and lush. The people were gentle and his father loved him, even though he could never inherit his throne. It was an amazing place, a peaceful place and a place that Naruto had always longed to go back to- or at least a part of him did. He was never totally sure he would want to go back at the same time, because even if his mother and his father loved him, he was scorned by his brothers and sisters and their mothers.

"I can understand why you'd be sad to see him leave," Neji replied softly. "What I don't understand is why you also seem to be relieved that he is leaving."

"You can tell?"

"Naruto, love, it's me. Of course I can tell." Neji looked at the blond, clearly amused. His face then turned to a more serious look. "So, why are you relieved that he's leaving, Naruto?"

"Ah, well….you see, that's something that I can't share with you right now Neji-sama. It's a private matter, but Gaara-sama knows about it," Naruto replied, obviously nervous and now starting to edge away from Neji.

"I don't care if Gaara-sama knows about it Naruto," the Hyuuga heir growled. He reached out and grabbed Naruto's arm, pulling him back towards him. He held him there tightly, not wanting the blond to retreat from him again. "I'm interested in you as well Naruto. My feelings are real and I want recognition of those feelings from you."

"I do recognize your feelings for me, Neji-sama. I understand that, believe me, I do. But that means very little in the grand scheme of things. You are as you are. I am as I am. You may love me, but I can never be more than a consort to you. You will marry a woman in the future and have children and I will become a memory – perhaps pleasant, perhaps not. However, because of that thought, I can never give myself away fully to any of you." Naruto looked away from Neji to the sky. He felt something constrict inside his body. It was a stifling feeling, like someone was pressing a pillow over his face.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Neji studied the blond carefully.

"Despite my actions, I am an incredibly selfish person, Neji-sama. If I thought I could be with you, I would gladly fall into your arms and drown myself in the love you are offering to me. But, when I think of how one day I would have to share my loved one with another person, even if for just political reason or for the sake of continuing the family bloodline, I feel a pressure in my chest, like someone is smothering me and I can't get any air. The thought that my beloved doesn't belong to me and me alone and shares his bed with another makes my skin crawl and my blood begin to run hot with madness. I want to belong solely to the person I love and I want him to belong solely to me. There can be no midway for me because I have an insatiable desire deep within me to posses the one I love completely, just I will let him completely posses me," Naruto replied in a tone that had a sort of gravity to it that actually made the atmosphere around Neji seem heavier.

"I've never heard about this before, Naruto. This seems rather grave, doesn't it?"

"It is a grave matter, Neji-sama, for I fear that this desire will be the death of the person I fall in love with," Naruto sighed and turned to look at Neji with sincere eyes. "Can you carry it; this painful and dangerous love of mine? My desire to posses is not something to take lightly. Should I find out I can't have you all to myself after giving all of myself to you, I'll kill you and then kill myself to follow after you."

Neji studied Naruto for a moment longer before turning to look back at the fight that had broken out between Gaara and Sasuke. He could feel the truth in Naruto's words. To treat his affection lightly would be a grave mistake and one that could not be corrected if Naruto was driven that far to the edge. Neji shuddered slightly at the thought, though it was also romantic – in a twisted sort of way – that Naruto was willing to devote himself that completely to a person. He said he would love that person and that person alone, forever.

"Neji-sama, I seem to have scared you somewhat," the blond commented lightly, taking a step so that he was right next to the young Hyuuga heir. He reached out and took the teen's hand, which was hanging at his side. While this surprised Neji, he did not flinch away and instead pulled Naruto closer, moving the blond in front of him and snaking both arms around him and clasping his hands in the front. Naruto looked up at the Hyuuga and Neji looked down, head tilted as if to pose a question, but his expression was more amused than questioning – his lips were even curved up into what looked like a smirk. "Apparently I didn't scare you all that much."

"Please Naruto," Neji chuckled lightly. "I may have been taken aback by what you said, but that doesn't mean I won't stop trying to make you love me. After all, you must care for us somewhat if you are holding back as much as you are. You don't want to fall in love and surrender yourself completely to someone who only considers this a game, right? Well, I'm not sure about Sasuke, but Gaara is most definitely serious about loving you and I am as well. I feel a sort of ease in your presence that I've never felt anywhere else. No woman or man I've ever felt affection for before has given me such a sense of inner peace. I feel as if the inner war I've constantly been waging with myself can be ended and finally come to terms if I am with you. I would gladly accept all the love you can give me, Naruto. Your love would be like a soothing hand touching my long fevered body. But you're right, I would be pressured to marry a woman and share my bed with someone other than you eventually. And though I am usually good at slipping out and around such things as that, marriage to a woman would be the one thing I doubt I could slip past, no matter how hard I tried. It is a part of political survival to take a wife and leave behind a child to continue what you started."

"Indeed. Hence why I could never give myself to any of you…And yet I find myself wavering day by day. But Gaara-sama cannot simply keep me by his side and never have a child to carry on the royal line. That would be inexcusable and irresponsible," the blond sighed, looking away from the bickering nobles and off to a far part of the garden. "Sometimes sense of duty makes men do the silliest things; it makes them forsake the happiness that is right in front of them and take the road of suffering. They never even think for a minute that the person they love would willingly walk that road with them as well. The simple joy that one gets from being with the one you love – whether you be rich or poor – is enough to overcome any pain or suffering the comes along the way…"

"Why are you so obsessed with love, Naruto? I understand that it is important, but…I see a deeper meaning for you. There is something that terrifies you of loving without knowing you are loved back."

"My mother loved my father. She loved him with every fiber of her being. And my father loved my mother with all his heart as well. But my father was a noble and my mother was a courtesan, just as I am now. No matter how much he loved her and she loved him, they could never make that love whole. My mother understood this and never told my father how she felt; she never wanted to make him feel guilt for making her fall in love with him. When my mother found out she was pregnant with me, she apparently tried to run away. I'm told it was quite the comical escape attempt," Naruto smiled lightly and let out a small laugh. Neji smiled in a light manner as well, now even more curious about Naruto's past than he had been before. The blond was a noble's son and yet he had been found running through the streets. What had happened? The sound of Naruto's voice continuing his story pulled Neji from his thoughts. "Apparently up until that point my father hadn't known my mother was pregnant, so he was quite surprised when she finally confessed her reason for running away. And like my mother thought, he took complete responsibility for her, tending to every single need. When I was born, my father was there. He was the one who named me…"

"That's wonderful and all, Naruto, but that doesn't answer my question…" Neji began, but Naruto cut him off by pressing a finger to his lips.

"I'm getting there, Neji-sama, I promise," Naruto assured the young noble and smiled at him slightly. " Now, skipping to my childhood before my parents died. This is where my desperate need to know that my love is returned came from. When I was three years old, my father officially took a wife and my mother became a mistress. Because my mother knew she could not say anything against a wife, she welcomed the woman into our home and supported my father's decision to marry her. However, it completely destroyed my mother on the inside. She still moved and spoke as if she were my mother, but the part of her that made her whole had cracked and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to put it back together. But you know, she still loved my father and she never resented the woman my father took for his wife. She simply chose to bury that love deep inside her and let it burn quietly inside, neither acting on it nor trying to forget it. Instead, she tried to ignore it and turned her attention to me, the child that was part him and part her. And I was a very happy child. My mother was very loving, but I could see it; every time we happened to cross paths with my father, and their child, I could see it. The love inside of her would flare up again, she would pause to watch his happiness with that other woman and her heart would break all over again…I was seven when my mother and my father died, but I'll never forget how they died…"

"How?" Neji asked softly, noting in the back of his mind the sound of the bickering between Sasuke and Gaara had stopped.

"In each others arms, actually," Naruto replied, his eyes taking on a watery look and his smile was shaking. Neji was definitely surprised by this; he'd never expected to see Naruto cry in his entire life. It wasn't something he thought Naruto did. Once again, Naruto's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "My father had become a target for assassination and everyone fled his home, except for me and my mother. She stayed by his side and when the assassins came for my father's life, she protected him. And when she could no longer stand and protect him, my father held her gently in his arms and asked her why she did such a thing. 'I could never live with myself if I left the thing I cherished most behind and ran. I must at least try to protect that which I have loved with my whole being my whole life. And most of all, if you are to die today, let me die with you, for a world without you is not a world at all. So, let me protect you, because I can do nothing else, my one and only love.' Those were the last words my mother ever spoke before she passed on to the next world, and my father held her body tightly as his life was taken from him, too."

Neji watched silently as tears spilled over Naruto's lashes and down his cheeks. The blond seemed to be making an effort to stop the tears, which caused Neji to sigh and gently, gingerly wrap his arms around the teen's shoulders and waist. He heard the shaky breath Naruto took in as he continued to attempt to get his tears under control. Neji tightened his hold on the blond and, while resting his head on Naruto's jittery shoulder, spoke softly, " It's alright, you know. It isn't a sign of weakness to cry. In fact, you being you are so strong and self-sufficient that it would be nice if you would cry and rely on us, even just a little bit. So, it's okay to cry, Naruto. Cry while you remember them."

With just those words, it seems that years of repressed tears came to the surface. Tears began to pour down Naruto's face, a never-ending river of tears. When he made to turn around, his knees suddenly gave out underneath him, causing him and Neji to go crashing down to the ground. This, however, seemed to make very little difference to Naruto as his tears just kept flowing down his face, like some sort of river. He twisted around in his sitting position to look at Neji, eyes still full of tears but now also panic.

"Neji-sama, they w-won't stop. M-My tears, they w-won't st-stop," Naruto wailed, looking desperate. Yes, he had wanted to cry, but not this much. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

"Make it stop, you say…How do you stop someone from crying, Naruto?" Neji looked at the blond, clearly not sure what he was supposed to do.

"What in the world did you say to him to make him cry, Neji?" A familiar voice asked from behind, sounding slightly annoyed. Neji twisted around, craning his neck to see who was there and, of course, it was Sasuke and Gaara. _Of course; I thought it was strange that I hadn't heard the sounds of their bickering for some time now…I wonder how much of Naruto's story they heard_, Neji mused before escaping his thoughts and returning to the issue at hand.

"I was just talking to him about why it's so important that he knows the person he loves, loves him in return. Then he started shaking, like he wanted to cry but was holding back because he was too proud to cry, so I tried to comfort him a little, saying it was okay to cry once in a while and all of a sudden the dam broke. Now he can't stop crying," the Hyuuga heir explained, turning his head back to watch Naruto, who still had tears flowing from his eyes. It didn't look like they were going to stop any time soon either.

"Don't just stare at me!" Naruto yelled at all three of the nobles, which surprised them to some extent, since he was usually proper no matter what the situation was. "If we don't stop my tears soon I'm doing to dehydrate and get sick! I'm not yelling at you for no reason!"

"And how do you propose we stop the tears, Naruto?" Gaara asked with a raised eyebrow. He was more curious as to the reason that the blond had become a human waterfall than how to turn the tears off, but the only way to find out the answer was to make him stop crying, since he probably couldn't get it out of Hyuuga even of he threatened him.

"Sh-Shikamaru. Get Shikamaru," Naruto sniffled. Gaara made a sour looking face. "If you don't want Shikamaru then get me Itachi."

"How can my brother be of any help to you?" Sasuke asked, a sour look that could rival Gaara's on his face.

"Y-you're brother visited my homeland once. We've even met, when I was a child. He should know what I want from him. Now take your pick," Naruto snapped at both of them. Neji raised an eyebrow to the comment about having met the elder Uchiha before when he was a child. That was certainly a puzzle piece he hadn't been expecting to show up. This just made the mystery of Naruto's past much more complicated.

"I don't know if that Shikamaru character is still here, but I'll call for him. Just in case I'll call for Itachi as well," Gaara ground out, clearly annoyed with this development. Naruto nodded while tears still stained his cheeks. The young prince called for two servants, one to track down Shikamaru and the other to find Itachi in case Shikamaru was not available. After that there was not much to do but wait. The two who had been standing, joined Naruto and Neji on the ground. Naruto continued to sob, though he did try to stop the tears himself, it did not seem to be working out too well as after every attempt he started crying harder.

Neji watched the blond, his interest in his past continuing to grow. Just what made Naruto think he had to repress himself this much? What had happened to him after his father and mother were murdered? There were all questions Neji wanted desperately to ask, but he was not sure that Naruto could handle such questions. They might trigger another episode of never-ending tears.

Footsteps echoing in the halls caught the attention of everyone in the garden. Just who was it that was coming to save Naruto from his tears? What no one was expecting, however, was for both Shikamaru and Itachi to appear at the top of the steps and come racing down them. Both of them came? What's more, both of them came at the same time and they were running. While Gaara, Sasuke and Neji could understand why Shikamaru, Naruto's childhood friend would be running to come help him, none of them could understand why Itachi had been running. It simply did not make any sense at all. They all knew that Itachi and Naruto had met once when Naruto was a child, but that does not warrant running to the blonde's aid now. When both Shikamaru and Itachi finally made it to the group of four, they looked somewhat disheveled and were panting lightly.

"Now, what happened? Your servant didn't say exactly what happened to Naruto," Shikamaru wheezed, trying to regain his breath. That had been no short distance to run since he'd been just about to leave when the servant caught him and told him something had happened to Naruto. And, as troublesome as it was, Shikamaru did care about Naruto, so he raced back inside to palace to where Naruto was, and bumped into Uchiha Itachi along the way, who said the prince had summoned him because something had happened to Naruto.

"Uhm…well, I don't know if it warranted running. It's just that we don't know how to calm him down and he said that only one of the two of you could do it," Neji explained, pointing to Naruto. Both men turned to look at what exactly happened and saw that the blond was crying.

"That's it? Crying? You called me here for crying?" Itachi raised an eyebrow, now becoming annoyed.

"If it was just crying, do you think we would have called anybody? It would have stopped by now," Sasuke snapped, obviously uncomfortable with his brother being there.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, he's been sobbing for at least a good hour or so now. I mean, there's no pause and the tears start again; it's just straight out continuous sobbing. He can't seem to stop," Neji explained. "He said that only Shikamaru or Itachi would know how to stop the tears…Can you? He seems to be afraid that he's going to dehydrate his body and get sick if he doesn't stop crying soon."

Itachi and Shikamaru looked at each other then at Naruto. His eyes were begging for help. Shikamaru sighed and kneeled down next to him.

"What do you think will stop it, Naruto?" He asked in a gentle tone. He had to admit, this was the first time Naruto had ever asked for his help. Even when they were children living together in the palace, Naruto had always refused any sort of help from anyone. He was completely independent, and yet, whenever someone else needed help, he would always be the first one to offer that person help.

""L-Lullaby…Please, Shikamaru, Itachi. Sing it," Naruto pleaded in a shaky voice. This must have hurt his pride so much to have to ask for help. Naruto was a being as bright as the sun and he had the pride to match such a personality.

Itachi watched the blond for a moment before sitting down on the ground as well and leaning against the tree that was hanging over the group of six. He looked at Naruto and signaled for him to come over to him, which the blond did, though it seemed to take some effort. The black haired man pulled the teen into his arms and held him against his chest. He ran a hand through blond hair and then simply stroked the courtesan's head. Itachi could feel Naruto's body shuddering and the tears were soaking his clothes, but that did not particularly bother him. He leaned down and whispered softly to Naruto, "I may be fond of you, but don't expect this kind of treatment often, Naruto. This is a one-time deal. This is simply because you actually asked for me."

"I understand, Itachi-san," Naruto assured the elder Uchiha, though he did not look at him. His voice was shaky, Itachi noted offhandedly.

"Good." The man nodded his head before taking a deep breath and letting it out, "Now then, it's been a while but if I remember right, it went something like this: Ah, my sun, you've gone down for the day. Your beloved twin, the moon, rises to watch the night and guard that which I hope to keep from harm's way. Her loving reflection washes over the sleeping face of a child and guards him till the night is done. And when the child rises with you, the sun, your loving twin descends and waits to watch the night – and the sleeping child – once again."

Itachi finished the lullaby softly and looked down at the blond in his arms. It seemed to have worked, for Naruto had stopped crying, however, he'd also fallen asleep. Itachi did not feel much anger towards Naruto though, simply a sort of amusement. The teen was always so cautious around him and now he was sleeping on him as if he did not have a care in the world.

"Well, at least he stopped crying," Shikamaru sighed. "I'm surprised though. I've never seen Naruto cry. Not once, not even when we were children. He was strangely independent from everyone else, never asking for help and turning us away whenever we offered to help him do anything. Yet, he would always help us, without even being asked. He's such a troublesome guy."

"I suppose, but his pride, his independence, they make him different from any sort of courtesan that we've ever met before in our lives. He's quite the breath of fresh air for us who have begun to sink into the darkness of the court," Neji commented in a casual yet serious manner. The courts were not a place to take lightly; it one did, they would swallow you whole. "It's like a reprieve from that darkness."

"Just don't forget, he has his own darkness, his own past, his own burdens," Shikamaru cautioned before standing up and heading for the stairs. "Tell him goodbye for me. I need to be on my way. This has already delayed me quite a bit."

"Well then, I suppose we should get Naruto to his bed then, should we not?" Itachi spoke up from his position against the tree. Not really interested in a reply from any of the teens, he shifted Naruto around his hold and stood up. "Now then, off to the dear boy's room. I'm sure he's exhausted from crying so much."

Itachi began up the steps and heard the three follow after him. He couldn't help his smile of amusement. Naruto certainly had caused a stir, and he had not been assaulted yet for touching him for so long, though the man had a feeling that if he touched him any longer than was necessary, either Sasuke or Gaara or both would make him regret it. He really was fond of Naruto, though not romantically. He simply found the changes that followed after Naruto interesting beyond compare. Not to mention the blond was absolutely too much fun to tease. Itachi remembered when he saw Naruto for the first time as a teenager; it had been a rather odd meeting as the blond fell out of a tree right in front of him.

Naruto had managed to get himself hurt, but when Itachi tried to dress the wound, Naruto had slapped his hand away, saying he did not need any help and to just leave it alone. Right after that, the blonde had started climbing up the tree again until he was level with the wall, at which point he crawled from the tree to the wall and began walking along the wall – which almost gave Itachi a heart attack because he was sure that if the boy fell he would die. What Naruto did was crawl all the way to the second to last tree and then sat down atop the wall. When Naruto finally did come down, Itachi asked him what he had been doing and his only reply had been, 'Sunset.' It really was quite the first impression. Itachi spent all summer at the palace with Naruto and his mother and when he heard of the kingdom's destruction he was sure Naruto had been killed as well. So, it was quite a shock to find him working as an attendant to the Crown Prince of the country that had destroyed his own.

"Things will never be easy for you, Naruto," Itachi whispered softly. "But you'll push through and come out better than you were…Just never lose that beautiful, beautiful smile you have, just like the sun…"

**Soooo….yeah. I'm sorry it took me over a freaking year to write this, but I have a really important reason for it having taken so long. I couldn't even think about writing fanfiction during this school year. I know that there are other people who are insanely busay and still manage to release a chapter or two during the school year, but I just couldn't do it. This past year was way too important for me to do anything other than concentrate on what I was doing in school. So please forgive and I will try – I swear I will – to get the next chapter out before another year goes by. Much love to you all.**


	6. This Feeling I Know So Well Part I

**Be Happy! I've finally had a break through about how to continue the plot in chapter six, but, it's going to be a lot of flashback (specifically Naruto's memories) in the form of dreams. Don't fret though, I shall push the plot forward, I just really feel like explaining a bunch of crap about Naruto's past and why he's come to be the way he is.**

**Yeah, so I don't know what Naruto's mother's name is in the actual series or if they ever even mention her name (or what she looks like), but for my purposes I'm going to give her a name and description since she plays a fairly key role in the shaping of Naruto's world view and his ideas about what love is and how it ought to be expressed, etc. **

**So, for my purposes, her name shall be Asaya Uzumaki Namikaze. Because I have no idea where the hell Naruto's last name came from in the series, this is how I'm explaining it in my fic. Naruto's mother's maiden name is Asaya Uzumaki and when the kingdom Naruto's father ruled was overtaken – in order to escape death at the hands of the dominating kingdom – he dropped his father's last name and took up his mother's maiden last name.**

**I add Namikaze because it's my fic and I can. No, the real reason is because in my story, Naruto's mom is basically like a 2****nd**** or 3****rd**** wife. She's of lower pedigree than the person that Naruto's father marries to become his 1****st**** wife, meaning she's the empress, but Naruto's mother is still married to him. Thus, she takes his last name. I apologize if this is historically inaccurate (within the scope of ancient civilizations – Mesopotamia, Egypt, Hittite Empire [Anatolia Region]) but I'm still learning about history and don't really know a ton about ancient marriage practices…Nor do I feel like looking it up. **

**If anyone who reads this fic happens to know about ancient marriage practices though, please enlighten me. I won't change the fic, but I'd be appreciative of the knowledge. Especially if I decide to write another fic set in the ancient past. **_**Do not write me if you only think you know. Only write me if you know for sure or have some sort of reliable source to back up what you say…Wikipedia absolutely does not count as a reliable source!!**_

**And, yes, I realize I'm making up a bunch of wired shit with the kingdoms, but I don't care because the kingdoms need names dammit! So, Naruto's from Fire Kingdom and Gaara is from the Earth Kingdom.**

/_blah_/ - indicates a dream and/or flashback

**My Butterfly: Chapter 06: This Feeling I Know So Well…Part I**

_"Naruto…Naruto, baby, what are you doing over there?" A soft feminine voice called to the sunshine blond. The voice was familiar, almost nostalgic and made Naruto turn to see who it was that had called out to him. His heart clenched tightly, trying to keep all the emotions that threatened to rush out of him from spilling out. It was his mother that had called to him in that all too familiar tone. _

_She looked just as Naruto had preserved her in his young memories – long, long light brown hair that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight was pulled into a loose ponytail, though some hair remained to frame her face. In the hair that framed her face hung a few strands of decorative beads and in her ponytail were similar strands. On her ears hung the earrings Naruto knew were her favorite – they had been a gift from his father, the king – each earring had five chains of differing lengths made of silver, and at the end of each chain an amazingly clear blue sapphire was attached. His father always said they matched her eyes and he was right – though in Naruto's opinion, his mother's own sapphire blue eyes were much more beautiful and expressive._

_The clothing she wore was simple yet at the same time whenever Naruto's mother moved expressed a sort of unearthly elegance that made all the women of the palace jealous. She wore a subdued red dress and tied a black belt around her waist. Over the dress and belt, she wore a white robe, similar to a kimono that was pitch black at the base and as the color seeped up, gradually divided and became black butterflies, though none of the butterflies reached past mid-thigh. The robe had a small set of strings that tied on the inside, allowing a person to wear the robe open or closed, though his mother often chose to wear the robe closed since the robe usually rested on or around her shoulders. The robe, like the earrings, had been a gift from his father. _

**( A/N: Yeah, this is really hard to explain, but if any of you have seen Rurouni Kenshin, I can offer a similar example of something similar to what I mean with the robe Naruto's mom is wearing. Go Here to See: **http:// s25. photobucket. com/ albums/ c82/ Empire_Child/ ?action= view¤t;= MB- NarutoMomRobe- EX. jpg** And if it isn't obvious, take out the spaces)**

_Before Naruto's father had gotten married to the woman he intended to take as his first wife and Empress, his world had revolved around Naruto and his mother. She had been his first lover and technically she was his first wife, even if her true position in the eyes of the court and the public was that of his second wife, a mistress. When he took a first wife, she would have to live in shadow. But until that time, she was, Asaya Uzumaki, the one and only wife of Minato Namikaze, Emperor of the Fire Kingdom. Not that anyone could complain about her standing by his side; upon entering the palace, Asaya had insisted upon learning the etiquette of the royals as well as any other subject deemed necessary by court officials or the king himself. She was never averse to speaking her mind and always told people quite bluntly what she thought of them, which earned her mixed reactions but more often than not people found it refreshing to be told the truth instead of lied to. And even if a person failed to see the humor in her responses, Asaya either didn't notice or simply didn't care._

_"Naruto," she called again to him softly, a gentle smile on her face. "Come here." _

_Just as Naruto was about to obey her command, a younger version of himself rushed past him, smiling brightly as he ran towards his mother. The woman leaned down and gathered the small blond up in her arms before standing upright once again. The two smiled at each other before his mother began walking back towards their rooms, carrying the mini-Naruto as she went._

_"Now then, Naruto," she spoke again, he voice as soft as always. "What were you doing over there?"_

_"I was looking for something," the young Naruto chirped in reply. When he realized his mother wanted more elaboration in his answer, he continued on. "Did you know, Mama, that the best place to see the sunset is on the castle walls?"_

_"I didn't know that," his mother replied. "But how do you know such a thing?"_

_"Because I've seen it from the trees just behind the walls," Naruto continued his explanation. "And I was looking for the best way to climb up the castle walls and see the sunset from its best viewpoint."_

_"Whatever for?" Naruto listened to the conversation, vaguely recalling the memory itself. He couldn't say why the memory was surfacing itself now though, especially as a dream._

_"Mmmm…" Naruto's younger self deliberated within his mind, trying to find a reason beyond simply wanting to see the sunset. After a moment, it seemed that the answer came to him because the boy smiled at his mother and replied, "For my heart."_

_"Your heart?" The woman asked in a still gentle voice, though she'd stopped walking. That was certainly not the answer she'd been expecting from her son._

_"Yeah, because sunsets give me the feeling of parting and sorrow and at the same time, sunsets are all so different. I've never seen two sunsets look the same," Naruto expanded on his previous answer, closing his eyes and touching one small hand over his heart. "Every time I see a sunset, my heart clenches tightly, as if it doesn't want to say goodbye to this day, yet at the same time, my heart becomes lighter for some reason I can't understand."_

_"Naruto," his mother began, setting the boy back on the ground and simply taking hold of his hand. The young blond tightly gripped his mother's hand as they began walking again. As they walked, she continued speaking, "Naruto, that feeling of your heart clenching and lightening at the same time is the feeling of longing."_

_"Longing?"_

_"Yes. Your Mama knows this feeling really well. It's the feeling of loving or wanting something, yet being unable to have or attain it. Yet at the same time, your just happy being able to see or be with the thing you're longing for. That's why your heart clenches and lightens in such an unbearable way," Naruto's mother explained, placing her free hand over her own heart and giving her son's hand a little squeeze as they continued to walk towards their rooms. "You really are my son if you already feel longing at such a young age." _

_"But…But, Mama. What is it that I'm longing for?" Naruto asked, confused. "What is it that you're longing for?"_

_"Each person longs for something different, Naruto, but what your Mama longs for is love," she replied._

_"Then, Mama isn't loved?" Naruto looked up at his mother, clearly confused now. He'd always thought his mother and father loved each other dearly. "But…What about Papa?"_

_"Ah, let me explain," Asaya paused in her walking and looked down at her son. "Your father loves me, but your father has another wife, one whom he has made his empress. He cannot love me more than he loves her. It would be an insult to her status and position as the first wife. But you see, Naruto, your Mama still longs for the love of your Papa. She gets unbearably jealous when she sees the Empress and her child because Mama sees her as the woman who stole your Papa away from me. I loathe that woman and when I see her together with the Emperor along with their young son, my heart clenches in an unbearable way because I remember how we used to be the same and I wish so desperately for that love to be rekindled._

_"But at the same time, when I see your Papa smiling with his new wife and child, my heart can't help but lighten up because I know he's happy, even without me by his side. And I wonder, Naruto, does he truly need me to stay here in this palace. Perhaps it would be better if I just disappeared. But then the pain of never being able to see the Emperor again comes crashing down on me and crushes my entire being; and I realize, that to deny myself the painful-happiness of at least seeing the Emperor is like denying air to my lungs, like denying myself the food and water I need to survive. I can no longer live without the Emperor. Even if he no longer needs me, I can never leave him. The mere thought of it is suffocating._

_"And my longing, Naruto – my little one – is that your father would return these feelings of love I have for him. Even though I know it will never be possible for him to do so and I know I will never stop suffering from these thoughts of longing for him and loathing his wife, I simply cannot stop them anymore. These feelings have consumed my entire being – my body and my soul. And I will continue to suffer from these feelings until the day I die…Which will be the same day the Emperor dies because once he has vanished from this world, my life will no longer hold any meaning. Naruto, he is my world; my one and only; my God."_

_Asaya looked down at her son, her eyes brimming with emotion and gently brushed a hand along Naruto's cheek. The young blond looked up at his mother and reached up to take hold of the hand that had caressed his face. _

_"Mama, will I be able to fall in love like that one day?" He asked curiously. _

_"You will. Because you are my son, this desire for such an intense love will surely find it's way to you, too," the woman assured her son. "But remember Naruto, that with that desire will come all sorts of trials and pains you can't possibly imagine until you experience them…That this longing will slowly eat at your heart, soul and body until it consumes you…Now then, it's getting rather cold out here. Let's head back to our rooms, okay?"_

_"Okay!" The young Naruto replied cheerfully, keeping hold of his mother's hand as they began walking once again._

The memory slowly started to fade from Naruto's mind and he soon found himself awakening to the real world. He blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the small amount of light that was invading his room. Sitting up, the blond realized, he was on his bed. As he was still sleepy and thus out of it, he couldn't recall how he'd gotten there until the sound of sheets rustling caught his attention. Turning his head just slightly, Naruto saw red hair. When he turned his head further, he saw a longhaired figure sitting (or rather, sleeping, as Naruto could hear the soft breathing) in one of the few chairs in his room. Another, shorthaired male slept in the chair next to him. Gaara, Neji and Sasuke were all sleeping in his room as if they'd been watching over him. That's when the memory of breaking down crying and being unable to stop came back, turning Naruto a very, very deep shade of red.

"Oh…My…God," Naruto muttered to himself, feeling completely humiliated. He gripped the bed sheets tightly, almost wishing he could sink into the ground and never resurface. He'd never felt so humiliated in all his life. He couldn't believe he'd done such a thing in front of those three. And the things he'd told Neji! Oh, all those private things! Naruto was fairly certain he was going to die of embarrassment now.

Naruto stealthily slipped from his bed. He just couldn't face those three right now. He had to find somewhere to hide and calm down or else his face a most likely going to become stuck a permanent shade or red. The blond slipped on the nearest pair of shoes he could find (silently thankful that they hadn't undressed him while he slept) and, as quietly as he could manage in his current state, fled from his room.

- - -

As Naruto walked down the halls of the palace, he could slowly feel his body and mind relaxing and allowing him to think straighter. Now, he definitely couldn't go back to that room. Either Gaara and the other two were still asleep and Naruto would be able to sneak back in without them knowing he'd left - however, knowing those three, they'd be annoyed that he hadn't woken them up when he himself had become conscious. The other choice was that at least one of them was awake and had realized Naruto was gone, thus waking the other two, meaning they'd be coming to find him shortly anyway so he just had to wait. Naruto decided he wouldn't chance getting caught trying to sneak back into his own room and would just wait for them to find him.

"It's dangerous for a courtesan to walk alone at this hour," a voice spoke suddenly from behind Naruto, making him yelp and jump in surprise. "Especially you, Naruto-kun. After all, you've become a favorite of many people in the court, have you not? Not to mention, Gaara-sama, Neji-sama and Sasuke-sama all dote on you quite a bit."

Naruto turned to see who exactly had just scared him out of his skin and several years of his life, and came face to face with Hatake Kakashi. The silver haired man looked amused and Naruto was tempted to glare but thought better of it. Instead, he straightened himself out before turning and bowing slightly to be polite.

"I've nothing better to do though, Kakashi-sama. My three main doters are all currently sleeping, leaving me to entertain myself," Naruto said, his voice soft. "And as for becoming a favorite of members of the court, it is true I have attracted some court members attention, but I'm sure there are many courtesans much more popular than myself."

"You really know how to be humble," Kakashi laughed lightly, scratching his head. "You praise yourself and at the same time you deny it. It's really quite amusing to listen to, especially because most people don't realize your doing so."

"It's a talent," Naruto shrugged indifferently. "To accept and deny praise at the same time is an important talent nonetheless. It tells people you are not a person to be drawn in by flattery, while at the same time refrains from causing any insult to the person who has praised you."

"Indeed. It sounds like a fine talent to have," Kakashi nodded in reply.

"The trouble is, that I often let my emotions get the better of me and speak from my heart before my head has a chance to reign me in. Thankfully though, the people of the court seem to find such a thing more amusing than insulting," Naruto sighed. He wasn't particularly interested in the inner workings of the royal court. He knew it well enough because of his lineage.

"Ah, so the den of sharks and demons have taken a liking to you, then?"

"It is naught but a passing fancy, Kakashi-sama," Naruto corrected. "Courts and its members do not like anything but themselves. Anything else is but a pass fancy, used to entertain and pass the long, boring hours they would otherwise spend alone."

"My, my, what a cold outlook on the people of the court," Kakashi said, while trying to hide his laughter.

"Do you have a different opinion then, Kakashi-sama?"

"Not at all. The people of the court generally are as shallow as they seem to be, but I'd be careful saying it out loud if I were you," the silver haired man chuckled, not able to hide his laughter anymore. Naruto smiled slightly; for being a general, the man certainly had a great sense of humor. Not only that, Naruto had heard a great many rumors that the General Kakashi was, in fact, a pervert. However, Naruto never gave much credence to rumors and had never witnessed any sort of perverted behavior on the general's part around him; perhaps the general simply only liked acting perverted around certain people.

"Naruto, Kakashi-san," a new voice suddenly spoke up from behind the blond. Naruto turned to see who was speaking and was faced with a brown haired man with a scar running across his face.

"Iruka-sama," Naruto greeted, bowing slightly. Umino Iruka was a general, just like Kakashi, though not as famous, he was still fairly well known and thus respected. Naruto had to say he was rather fond of Iruka. The man reminded him of a field of sunflowers of a summer day for some odd reason. Not to mention, he'd always treated Naruto kindly, though not in the way one would treat a lover; it was more like he saw Naruto as a son. "What brings you out here?"

"Ah, well…this is…uhm…" the brown haired man seemed to struggle to find the words to explain what he was doing. A blush slowly started to creep its way onto his face and a similar one began to lightly form on Kakashi's cheeks as well. Naruto looked at Iruka for a moment, who looked at the ground, then looked at Kakashi, who chose to look up at the fading sky. He looked back and forth between the two once more before holding a hand – which also held a piece of shawl – over his mouth and started giggling softly.

"I seem to have interrupted the two of you," Naruto simply stated. Neither of the generals looked at him, which only made Naruto giggle again. He headed back in the direction he had come, calling as he walked, "So sorry. Please don't let me get in the way!"

He could hear something like embarrassed sputtering coming from Iruka and, he was fairly certain, Kakashi trying to calm him down. Naruto couldn't help giggling some more as he made his way back to his room. He felt better now that he'd awkwardly come between the two best generals in the Earth Kingdom, while they were trying to romantically rendezvous. Now he could face his three suitors…much as loathed the idea of them being awake when he walked inside that room.

**I have decided that, for the sake of actually posting something before a year goes by, I'm going to split this into two parts. This is the first part, and I apologize for it being shorter than my normal posts, but I felt that I'd found a good place to leave off. That way you're all looking forward to the second part and I feel encouraged to write it. Much Love to All – Othello's Adonis**


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